Road work begins at gas well site
ADAMS TWP — Heavy machinery and men in hard hats on Wednesday were at the entrance to the Geyer shale gas well site off Route 228.
The planned wells were the focus of a group of Mars School District parents who tried to have a two-mile overlay placed around the schools where industry would be prohibited. Such an overlay would have prohibited the Geyer wells, but the group could not gain the support of local officials.
The group maintains that the location within a mile of the Mars schools presents health and safety concerns for students and staff.
Rex Energy officials said workers began bringing equipment in and clearing for the curving, three-quarter mile access road that will eventually lead to five Marcellus Shale gas wells on the Bob and Kim Geyer farm.
The road entrance will be 1,000 feet from Route 228’s intersection with Three Degree Road, or just across from the blinking traffic signal that warns westbound traffic to slow to 15 mph for the Mars school zone.
Steve Harris, director for civil and environmental engineering for Rex Energy, said the access road will be 24 feet wide, and paved for the first 50 feet. He said construction will only take place during daylight hours.
Harris said following discussions with Mars School District Superintendent Jim Budzilek, Rex will do its best to limit heavy trucks at the site to the hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to avoid affecting bus traffic at district arrival and dismissal times.
Harris said vehicles can only turn right from Route 228 onto the access road to avoid traffic tie-ups.
“That was a request of the Adams Township supervisors and also appreciated by the school district,” he said.
While the well pads will be near Denny Road, Harris said the access road is being placed off Route 228 because it is a state-approved truck route. He said Middlesex Township roads have posted weight limits and would require bonding through the township.
The homeowners on the secondary township roads also would have been greatly impacted had Rex Energy used them instead of Route 228.
“The Middlesex supervisors requested that we use Route 228 instead of local roads,” Harris said. “We are working with the school district, and Middlesex and Adams townships.”
Harris said rush-hour traffic along the already-congested stretch of Route 228 should not be impacted by the construction of the access road.
“The only time we expect delays for commuters is possibly when we pave the entrance,” Harris said, “and we’re planning on paving the entrance on a Saturday.”
Harris expects the access road work to take about two weeks to complete. Then the protective steel casings at the five wells will be set before a drilling rig is moved onto the site.
A letter Rex Energy sent to property owners within 3,000 feet of the Geyer well pads said drilling activities are anticipated to begin in January or February.
The letter also said Rex plans to host a landowners’ open house in the coming months “to provide our partners with an opportunity to ask questions of our experts and learn more about our operations and timeline.”
The landowners will be contacted by Rex once details of the open house are finalized, the letter said.
Katy Gresh, Rex Energy spokesman, said anyone with a comment on the Geyer project can log onto the Rex website, www.rexenergy.com, and select “operations questions” from the “contact us” menu.
An inquiry can be filled out, which will be reviewed by Rex officials.
“We want to maintain good communication with our neighbors,” Gresh said.
