Middlesex approves gas amendment
MIDDLESEX TWP — The township supervisors Wednesday night listened to two hours of passionate public comment before they voted unanimously to approve an amendment to the zoning ordinance that regulates gas and oil drilling.
The public hearing on the zoning amendment preceded the regular monthly supervisors meeting. About 80 residents attended the standing-room-only session.
The amendment allows gas drilling, either as a permitted or conditional use, in most of the township.
Well sites are permitted in the restricted industrial zone and all three agricultural districts. They are allowed as a conditional use in the town center, highway commercial and regional commercial districts.
Gas processing stations are allowed as a conditional use in the agricultural residential, agricultural, and regional commercial districts. Processing plants are allowed in the regional commercial district as a conditional use.
All gas operations are permitted uses in the restricted industrial zone.
While supervisors chairman Mike Spreng and James “Hap” Evans abstained from the vote because they have leases with shale gas drilling companies, solicitor Mike Hnath said they could vote after abstaining in order to create a majority vote.
The Middlesex board has three supervisors. Hnath said the state Ethics Act allows elected officials to vote after abstaining when no other means exists to have a majority vote.
Those against shale gas drilling alternated with those in favor as the public comment portion of the meeting continued. None of the three supervisors commented during the comment period or after the vote.
Many of those against the ordinance complained the supervisors ignored the township planning commission's recent 3-2 vote to recommend that supervisors table voting on the ordinance because of concerns about processing plants, compressor stations, water impoundments, storage of materials on well sites and other issues.“(The planning commission members were) very thoughtful in their approach,” Shelley Titchen said. “They asked for more time to review the ordinance placed before them, and I ask that you do that.”Melissa Brown suggested that eschewing the planning commission's recommendation is not the norm for the supervisors.“Do you ever approve a residential housing development without the planning commission's recommendation to approve?” Brown asked. “I don't see how this proposal is any different.”Kathleen Wagner said she signed a lease on her 1-acre property, which is across from the Geyer farm. The Geyers have signed a lease with Rex Energy to place multiple wells on their farm.Wagner said she expects the Geyer wells to negatively affect her property value.“We assume we won't be able to sell our house,” Wagner said. “Are you going to buy a house directly across from (a well)? I doubt it.”Kim Geyer, whose farm on Denny Road will be the site of the wells pending permitting by the state Department of Environmental Protection, said municipalities must allow reasonable development of mineral resources.“From 2009 to 2014, there have been ordinances in 210 municipalities in Pennsylvania's 67 counties to clarify shale gas development,” Geyer said.She said shale gas drilling has allowed many farms to remain farms instead of becoming housing developments, which protects the rural character of municipalities.“Farms will revert back to their agricultural settings once gas drilling is completed,” Geyer said.
John McManus said he lives about 1,000 feet from one of the three existing shale gas wells in the township. He said operations at the well lasted from September to January, although trucks continue to access the site.“It has not impacted our lives or anyone around us one bit,” McManus said.After the supervisors voted to approve the amendment, half of the crowd appeared frustrated and half appeared pleased.Longtime shale gas drilling opponent Diane Arnold said she was extremely disappointed, but not surprised.“I believe many of us in this township are not represented by this board,” Arnold said. “They are representing the interests of the people who have leases, and are not voting for the well being of the community.”She said she expected the supervisors to vote as they did.“They indicated right along that they were in favor of drilling most of the township,” Arnold said.Mike Endler, Rex Energy's vice president for the Appalachian Basin, attended the meeting. He provided a statement on the board's vote.“The adopted ordinance will require Rex to amend our operations for future well pads in Middlesex Township,” Endler said. “Having said that, it is our opinion that these conditions are practical and provide greater clarity.”Kim Geyer's husband, Bob, said shale gas drilling is a game-changer for Pennsylvania. He said the industry has many positive effects on the economy and community, and he agreed with the supervisors' vote.“It was the right one,” Geyer said.The amendment's approval included a requirement that drillers coordinate with school districts to reduce truck traffic during the hours that students are being picked up from and dropped off at school.Drillers must supply the township with documentation that they have coordinated with the school district. Middlesex is in the Mars School District.The complete ordinance amendment is available for viewing on the township's website, www.middlesextownship.org.
