JACKSON TWP — While MarkWest Energy is preparing to propose a third phase to its natural gas processing facility in the township, the not-yet-finished second phase of the project will face scrutiny in the coming months.

Representatives of MarkWest made a presentation to the township planning commission Wednesday night about Bluestone III, an expansion of its Keystone facility on Hartmann Road. They also said they are revising operations at Bluestone I and II and working with the township to limit nuisances to neighbors.

The meeting was attended by about 15 residents who came with concerns about operations of the plant regarding light, noise and odor.

Planning commission Vice Chairman Bob McGuire said the township should ensure the plant is in compliance before the expansion is allowed to proceed.

“My thought process is that we solve these existing problems, and everyone knows it’s a problem, before we actually start processing the next plant,” McGuire said.

“Legally that may not be possible, but that is my feeling because I do feel that the residents in the township should come first.”

Jackson manager Chris Rearick said the township has talked with MarkWest and will review the second phase to make sure it is in compliance with township ordinances.

In early 2015 the township plans to bring in an acoustical engineer to measure sound coming from the site over one or two weeks. It will also look at lighting standards.

Odor and emissions concerns are not under the jurisdiction of the township and are handled by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, Rearick said.

One major source of both noise and light from the plant is its smokestack, that is periodically used to burn off unusable gas.

Shane Hecht, MarkWest engineering manager, said the facility is acquiring additional tanks and taking measures to limit the number of times it has to use that gas flare.

The same measures have been successfully used at the MarkWest facility in Houston, Washington County, which previously had issues with using its flare too frequently.

The additional tanks store the processed gas to be run through the plant a second time, rather than being burned.

“If you had an upset condition or had an upset product, rather than all that going to the flare and combusting and causing a big flame, it would go into those tanks. We would let it settle out a bit and then we would run it back into the front end of the plant,” he said.

Though the company does not like having to use the flare, it will remain a necessity for the plant, said Josh Mozley, area operations manager for MarkWest.

The plant runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week and the need to flare is unpredictable, Mozley said.

“It’s an environmental tool, I can’t release that stuff into the atmosphere,” he said.

Textor Hill Road resident Jeff Behr said he circulated a petition to residents of his road one-and-a-half years ago asking the township to do something about the noise coming from the facility.

Behr also said some neighbors are concerned that their property values will decrease because of their proximity to the facility.

Robert Burr of Burr Lane said the noise from the flare sounds like a jet engine.

“It goes on for hours, sometimes days,” Burr said.

The first two phases of the plant process liquid natural gas from wells and remove methane — dry gas — that is used in homes.

The third phase would continue the processing of the liquid gas to remove ethane and propane, project manager Tony Presutti said.

The plans call for the flare to be moved further east on the property and would involve building a new power substation.