JACKSON TWP — Final approval for MarkWest Energy’s de-ethanizer facility is on hold.

The township planning commission Wednesday night tabled voting for the Bluestone de-ethanizing gas compressor plant to discuss options for the water supply for fire hydrants.

MarkWest is a natural gas gathering, processing and transportation company with a facility on Hartmann Road in Evans City.

MarkWest special projects manager Rob McHale said the company wants to use a wet system to supply it’s own water for fire hydrants.

“We have two million-plus gallons of fire water in tankage located by our rail yard,” McHale said.

The fire hydrants would be installed on Hartmann Road.

However, the company will have to discuss that option with the Harmony Fire District.

Planning commission members said the company that preceded MarkWest, Keystone Midstream, agreed with the township in 2011 to use a dry fire hydrant system with water supplied from nearby Goehring Pond.

This also came as the recommendation of the former Harmony Volunteer Fire Department.

A dry fire hydrant system uses existing bodies of water for firetrucks to use, while wet fire hydrants are connected to a continuous supply of water.

“The common thread that has gone through all the approvals is the expectation of the eventual installation of this dry hydrant,” township manager Chris Rearick said.

The township asked MarkWest to have a bond of $400,000 to $450,000 for the hydrant system.

However a new way to provide public water to the site could be approved in lieu of building the dry fire hydrant system.

“I understand the condition as written predates my involvement in the project,” McHale said. “It is our intent to meet the spirit of the condition by presenting this viable option (wet hydrant).”

The 30-acre Bluestone plant will be able to separate 34,000 barrels of ethane gas a day.

“Currently, the facility has the ability to separate 14,000 barrels per day,” McHale said.

Preliminary plans for the de-ethanizer were approved last year by the township.

Planning commission members said the process to have the hydrant installed has been slow.

“We expected it to be done at this time,” commission Chairman Jay Grinnell said of the hydrant. “This was promised in 2011.”

Grinnell also said the dry hydrant was intended to benefit the community, not just MarkWest.

“There were a lot of promises, but not a lot has been seen,” he said.

One concern brought up about MarkWest supplying its own water to fire hydrants is if the Harmony Fire District would have enough water to battle fires.

McHale said the company has been talking with first responders to train for a potential on-site catastrophe.

Last year and this year MarkWest has had to deal with concerns brought up by residents, including building a sound wall by its rail yard, building noise enclosures around its gas compressors plants, planting trees between the company’s facility and nearby homes and installing pipe wrap to suppress noise from pipe ringing.

McHale said, “We’ve had very good and cooperative dialogue with the township in the past months and years, and I expect that to continue as we work to a mutually beneficial resolution.”