Adams supervisors vote against overlay
ADAMS TWP — Some of the parents in a group advocating a two-mile non-drilling overlay around schools in the Mars School District left the township supervisors meeting on Monday night in tears, after the supervisors voted 4-1 against amending the zoning ordinance to include an overlay.
Six Marcellus shale gas wells are planned for the Bob and Kim Geyer property on Denny Road. They will be within a mile of school district property.
State law requires that wells have a 500-foot buffer from school property.
The vote was opposite of the action taken Wednesday by the township planning commission members, who voted 4-3 to recommend the supervisors enact an overlay prohibiting surface drilling within 1,250 feet of school property.
Supervisors Chairman Donald Aiken announced at the outset of Monday's well-attended meeting that the board would vote on the matter at the meeting.
“We can't let this go on,” Aiken said of the divisive issue.
Supervisor Tom Franceschina was the lone backer of the ordinance because he advocated a 2,500-foot overlay around the schools.
Franceschina is also a member of the planning commission, and was one of three on the commission who voted against the 1,250-foot overlay recommendation because he felt the larger perimeter would better ensure the safety of the district's 3,200 students.
The issue has divided the community because while the parents group said the wells pose a threat to the students and staff in the event of an explosion and through the environmental effects of the drilling process, other residents say they have the right to use their property as they see fit without interference by local government.Several residents used the public comment session at the beginning of Monday's meeting to make a last ditch plea for the supervisors to agree with their side of the issue.Roberta Rowan told the supervisors she spent 40 years as a middle school principal in a school district in Allegheny County, and 12 years as the chair of the district's emergency planning committee.Rowan called the prospect of evacuating 3,200 students from the schools, plus staff members, in the event of an explosion “mind boggling.”She urged the supervisors to approve an overlay to “prevent havoc on the campus.”Tom Bartos said he has worked in the oil and gas industry for 30 years. He told the supervisors that industry advances in lighting, sound muffling, exhaust filters and other areas have made shale gas drilling less invasive to the environment.He said approving an overlay would be inappropriate and against industry standards.“Ordinances should not be passed because of popularity, but because they make good sense,” Bartos said.
Gail Carpenter said fracking once occurred in remote areas and is now moving into populated areas. She said the real estate market is being affected because “people don't want to buy homes in industrial areas.”Carpenter said homebuyers are beginning to look at Cranberry Township and other communities because of drilling in Adams.“If not managed properly, (shale gas drilling) can ruin the economy here as it has in other areas of the country,” Carpenter, a Realtor, said.Dennis McCandless said while the drilling would increase the traffic, noise, dust and light at the Geyer wells for a short time, it would resemble an electric substation once the drilling and fracking are complete.“They are grossly overstating the risk associated with drilling,” McCandless said.Aiken then asked each supervisor to state his conclusion regarding amending the zoning ordinance to include an overlay around the schools.While Franceschina stuck to the 2,500-foot overlay, the other four supervisors did not.“This is the toughest thing I've had to do in my 26 years as an Adams supervisor,” said Linda Lees.“I don't believe we have the right to tell anyone what they can or cannot do with their property,” said Russ Ford.“We have never heard one word from the Mars School District,” Aiken said. “This should not be our decision.”
Ed Vogel said he favored leaving the zoning ordinance in its current form.After the meeting, half the crowd was jubilant and half was distraught.“We are extremely disappointed,” said parent group member Crystal Yost.She said the group was never given the chance to make its presentation before the supervisors, which she said was unfair.“But the story does not end here,” Yost said, meaning the group will continue to fight for the overlay.Dave Rogers, Rex Energy's senior director of land, provided a statement after the meeting.“Rex Energy looks forward to continuing our working relationship with the (Adams) supervisors and area residents to responsibly develop shale gas in the township,” Rogers' statement said. “Rex Energy's foremost priority across all of our operations continues to be workplace and community safety and environmental compliance.”The Geyer wells are in the permitting process. It is not known when construction will begin on the wells.
