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On November 4, the Cecil Township Board of Supervisors in Washington County adopted an ordinance establishing setbacks from shale gas well pads of 2,500 feet from homes and businesses as “protected structures” and 5,000 feet from schools and hospitals.
The proposed 25-page ordinance also gives property owners the ability to waive the setback, however, all property owners within the 2,500 foot setback must agree to a waiver.
The setbacks for schools and hospitals cannot be waived under the ordinance.
Well pads must also be located not less than 1,000 feet from any residential lot line.
The ordinance also includes provisions requiring an environmental impact analysis to “describe, identify and analyze all environmental aspects of the site and of neighboring properties that may be affected by the proposed operations or the ultimate use proposed to be conducted on the site.”
The ordinance also sets requirements for other oil and gas development facilities “which employ the use of compressors, motors or engines as part of the operations and/or produce air-contaminant emissions or offensive odors, subsurface facilities, including horizontal drilling facilities, gathering system facilities and production facilities.”
Click Here for a copy of the ordinance.
Click Here for a more detailed summary of the ordinance.
Many residents' pleas to the Board of Supervisors for increased setback distances have been based on their negative experiences of living near well pads and or the growing list of peer-reviewed research linking poor health outcomes to people living in close proximity to fracking. That public engagement has been crucial.
This is not a ban on drilling in Cecil Township.
There are five existing well pads that will be grandfathered in and that cover more than 60% of the township.
In addition, land owners who want to waive the 2,500 foot setback and have drilling on their property can do so, as long as everyone within that buffer zone agrees.
The ordinance was as a follow-up to a series of four public hearings held by the Township on the issue of regulating shale gas well pads. Read more here.
A fifth hearing was held right before the Supervisors voted on November 4.
Click Here for a video of the Supervisors meeting. Click Here for a video of the November 4 hearing on the ordinance.
Reactions
Janice Blanock, a Cecil resident who lost her son Luke to Ewing sarcoma, said-- “I would like to thank the Cecil Township Supervisors for doing what's right to protect the residents. For the ones who abstained, we will remember that! It's been a long, tough road. I have attended and spoke at all of the hearings and I feel very proud to say I live in Cecil. This victory gives me hope for the future and honors my son's memory.”
Sarah Martik, Executive Director of the Center for Coalfield Justice, a Cecil resident, said- “This is a victory 15 years in the making. It really shows what people who work together and persist can accomplish. Despite industry’s threats and intimidation, the board of supervisors made clear that the people, not the mega corporations, who call Cecil Township home are their first priority. We hope this sets an example for other communities to follow.”
(Photos: top- Range Resources Augustine Drill Pad in Cecil Township; Augustine Drill Pad showing scale of operation; bottom- Map of Shale gas wells (red dots), conventional oil and gas wells (blue/green dots) in Cecil Township (DEP Oil & Gas Program); 523 feet from nearest house; Well pad gas flare from bedroom window near Augustine well pad (WTAE). Other photos Courtesy of The Energy Age Blog.)
NewsClips:
-- Observer-Reporter: Cecil Township Supervisors Approve Ordinance Increasing Setbacks For New Shale Gas Well Pads [PDF of Article]
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Cecil Township Supervisors Pull The Trigger On Frack ‘Ban’ Via Setbacks [PDF of Article]
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition Pushes Back Against Cecil Township’s 2,500 Foot Setback From Well Pads [PDF of Article]
Resource Links:
-- Cecil Township, Washington County Posts Proposed Ordinance Increasing Setbacks From Shale Gas Well Pads Of 2,500 Feet From Homes, Businesses; 5,000 Feet From Schools, Hospitals; Nov. 4 Hearing, Meeting Set [PaEN]
-- Cecil Township Supervisors Direct Solicitor To Prepare Ordinance Increasing Setbacks From Shale Gas Well Pads By At Least 2,500 Feet; Another Hearing, Vote Expected Nov. 4 [PaEN]
NewsClips - Washington County:
-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: As Fracking Turns 20 In Pennsylvania, Towns Consider New Regulations For Distance Between Homes And Well Pads [Cecil Twp., Washington County] [PDF of Article]
-- Observer-Reporter Letter: There’s Another Side To The ‘Shale Gas Revolution’
-- DEP Invites Comments On New Air Pollution Permit For Revolution Natural Gas Cryogenic Processing Plant In Washington County; Plant Suffered Major Explosion, Fire In 2022 [PaEN]
-- DEP Issues Violations To 3 Shale Gas Drillers For Failing To Report Fracking Chemicals, Including At EQT’s Lumber Well Pad In Greene County, Range Resources In Washington County [PaEN]
-- The Energy Age Blog: Fracking In Cecil Township, Washington County [3.26.24]
-- The Energy Age Blog: Right To A Healthy Life For Babies Near Fracking - Testimony of Dr. Ned Ketyer At Sept. 4, 2024 Cecil Township Hearing
-- The Energy Age Blog: Fracking: Have A Heart For Seniors In Pennsylvania - Medical Evidence Of Fracking Harm from Sept. 4, 2024 Cecil Township Hearing
-- Landmark Washington County Act 13 PA Supreme Court Case Upholding Right Of Municipalities To Regulate Oil & Gas Drilling As A Land Use
Resource Links - Increasing Gas Infrastructure Safety Zones:
-- Senators Santarsiero, Comitta Introduce SB 581 Increasing Setback Safety Zones From Natural Gas Drilling Sites, Other Infrastructure, Based On Latest Science [PaEN]
-- House Committee Hearing On Increasing Safety Setback Zones Around Natural Gas Facilities Heard About First-Hand Citizen Experiences On Health Impacts; From Physicians On Health Studies; The Gas Industry On Job Impacts [PaEN]
-- Sen. Yaw, Republican Chair Of Senate Environmental Committee, Called Bill To Reduce Shale Gas Industry Impacts On Health, Environment ‘Stupid’ [PaEN]
Resource Links - Washington County Gas Development:
-- Click Here to search for Washington County articles in PA Environment Digest. These are just a few--
Resource Links: Gas Health, Safety Impacts Washington County:
-- Hundreds Of Residents Warn Against Impacts Of Shale Gas Development In Cecil Township, Washington County [PaEN]
-- New Reporting On The Uncontrolled Impacts Of Shale Gas Industry: The ‘Poisons Are Still Going Through My System;’ Roar, Fire From Gas Flares; Nothing Has Changed In 15 Years [PaEN]
-- Shale Gas & Public Health Conference: When It Started, It Was Kind Of Nice, But What Happened Afterwards Really Kind Of Devastated Our Community [Marianna Boro, Washington County] [PaEN]
-- Inside Climate News: Q/A With Eliza Griswold Pulitzer Winning Author Of Deep Dive Into Fracking In PA, How Extractive Industries ‘Gut’ Communities [Including Washington County] [PaEN]
-- Center For Coalfield Justice Hosts Aug. 20 In-Person Program On Investigations Into Rare Childhood Cancers In Washington County [PaEN]
-- Range Resources Wins Water Well Contamination Case, But Court Says Actions Reckless In Washington County [PaEN]
-- 3 Days That Shook Washington County: Natural Gas Plant Explosion; Pipeline Leak Of 1.1 Million Cubic Feet Of Gas; 10,000 Gallon Spill At Compressor Station [PaEN]
-- Observer-Reporter: Explosion, Fire At Energy Transfer’s Revolution Natural Gas Cryogenic -- Plant Burned For Nearly 11 Hours On Christmas Day In Smith Twp., Washington County [PaEN]
-- DEP Ongoing Explosion/Fire Investigation: Energy Transfer Reported An Uncontrolled Release Of Ethane For 9.5 Hours From Its Revolution Natural Gas Processing Plant In Washington County [PaEN]
-- Inside Climate News: DEP Took 9 Days To Inspect Natural Gas Liquids Plant That Caught Fire On Christmas Day In Washington County [PaEN]
-- Guest Essay: Counties, PEMA Need To Include A Complete Vulnerability Assessment Of All Natural Gas Facilities In State, County Hazard Mitigation Emergency Plans [PaEN]
-- Attorney General Shapiro: Range Resources Pleads No Contest To Negligent Oversight Of Natural Gas Well Sites In Washington County; To Pay $150,000 In Penalties, Contributions [PaEN]
-- DEP Fines Range Resources $198,920 For Air Quality Violations In Washington County [PaEN]
-- Washington County Family Lawsuit Alleges Shale Gas Company Violated The Terms Of Their Lease By Endangering Their Health, Contaminating Their Water Supply And Not Protecting Their Land [PaEN]
-- Environmental Hearing Board Will Hear Key Arguments On Appeal By A Washington County Family Alleging Shale Gas Drilling Contaminated Their Water Supply With PFAS And Other Chemicals [PaEN]
-- DEP: Widespread Presence Of PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Fresh Water May Have Led To ‘Inadvertently’ Using Contaminated Water For Fracking Gas Wells In Washington County [PaEN]
-- Range Resources Shale Gas Water Pipeline Suffers Blowout In Washington County [PaEN]
-- KDKA Investigation: Washington County Family Says Energy Transfer/MarkWest Natural Gas Processing Plants Turned A Peaceful Farm Into A Nightmare [PaEN]
Penalties + Criminal Charges - Washington County:
-- Natural Gas Pipeline Pigging Facility Malfunction Dec. 27 Released 1.1 Million Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas; Same Facility Plagued Community With Blowdowns 3 Times A Day, 7 Days A Week For Nearly 10 Years Until Criminal Charges Brought Against CNX [PaEN]
-- Attorney General Henry Files Charges Against Shell Falcon Pipeline For Failure To Report Drilling Issues That Caused Industrial Waste, Potential for Water Pollution [PaEN]
-- DEP: Shell, Pipeline Contractor Assessed $670,000 Penalty For Falcon Ethane Pipeline Construction Violations In Allegheny, Beaver, Washington Counties [PaEN]
-- DEP Settlements Impose Total Of $427,650 In Penalties On EQM For Pipeline Construction Violations in Greene, Washington, Westmoreland Counties [PaEN]
-- DEP: CNX Gas Pays $310,000 Penalty For Violations During, After Pipeline Construction In Washington County [PaEN]
-- DEP Settlement With CNX For E&S Violations In Greene, Washington Counties Yields $180,000 Streambank, Fish Habitat Project [PaEN]
-- AG Shapiro: Southeast Directional Drilling Pleads Guilty To Contaminating Water Supply In Washington County, To Pay $15,000 Fine [PaEN]
-- AG Shapiro Charges National Fuel Gas Supply, Subcontractor With Environmental Crimes Related To Pipeline Construction In Washington County [PaEN]
-- DEP Orders Energy Transfer To Restore Waterways Impacted During Construction Of Revolution Pipeline In 4 Counties [PaEN]
-- DEP Rejects MarkWest Act 2 Cleanup Notification For 10,000 Gallon Natural Gas Condensate Spill At Compressor Station In Robinson Twp., Washington County, Notice Is Re-sent [PaEN]
-- Robinson Twp., Washington County Seeks Answers To Cleanup Of MarkWest Liberty Midstream 10,000 Gallon Spill Of Natural Gas Condensates After Company Sends Notice To Wrong Municipality [PaEN]
-- MarkWest Liberty Midstream Files To Clean Up 10,000 Gallon Natural Gas Condensate Spill Caused By December’s Winter Storm Elliot Freeze In Washington County [PaEN]
-- DEP Issues Violation To CNX Gas Company For Withdrawing Over 1.8 Million Gallons Of Water For Fracking For 22 Days Without Permission [PaEN]
-- PUC Approves 2 Penalty Settlements With Columbia Gas Totaling $1.525 Million For A House Explosion In Washington County, 2 Natural Gas Pipeline Over-Pressurization Incidents In Franklin, Clarion Counties [PaEN]
-- Gov. Shapiro, CNX Natural Gas Company Sign Statement Of Mutual Interests To Monitor Air Emissions At Drill Sites, Extend Safety Setbacks While Data Is Being Collected; DEP To Move Ahead With Some Reg Changes [PaEN]
-- TribLive Editorial: Is Shapiro's Voluntary Agreement With CNX The Right Move For Gas Well Safety? 'We Do Not Trust Foxes To Guard Henhouses' [PaEN]
Gas vs. Coal Development Impacts - Washington County
-- DEP Invites Comments On MarkWest Project To Expose 4 Natural Gas Pipelines For 5,500+ Feet Ahead Of Longwall Mining In Donegal Twp., Washington County
-- DEP Invites Comments On Proposed CNX Midstream Project To Expose Natural Gas, Water Pipelines To Prevent Longwall Mining Damage In Washington County
-- DEP Invites Comments On MarkWest Liberty Midstream Project To Expose 1 Mile+ Of 2 Natural Gas Pipelines To Prevent Longwall Coal Mining Damage In Washington County
-- DEP Reaches Settlement With CNX On Well Plugging Violations At 141 Conventional Coalbed Methane & Gas Wells, 5 Unconventional Gas Wells In 4 Southwest Counties
-- Center for Coalfield Justice Blog: Update On Underground Longwall Coal Mining In Greene, Washington Counties; Next DEP Report On Longwall Impacts Due… Soon [PaEN]
-- Act 54 Report Again Finds 40% Of Streams Suffered Loss Of Flow, Pooling, Reduction In Biological Activity Due To Impacts From Underground Coal Mining [PaEN]
More Articles:
Note: Click Here to search for Washington County articles in PA Environment Digest.
PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:
-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Nov. 2 to 8 - 8,800 Gallon Shale Gas Wastewater Spill; Failure To Comply With Plugging Order; Spills, Releases, Gas Leaks [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - November 9 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 71 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In November 9 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- Cecil Township Supervisors In Washington County Adopt 2,500 Setback From Shale Gas Well Pads From Homes, Businesses, 5,000 Foot Setback From Hospitals, Schools [PaEN]
-- PA Republican Senators Introduce Bill To Punish Local Elected Officials Who Want To Protect Their Constituents From The Documented Adverse Health, Environmental Impacts Of Shale Gas Development [PaEN]
-- The Allegheny Front - Kara Holsopple: Longtime Environmental Official On PA Election Results: People Will Need To Be ‘As Tenacious As The Industry’
-- Protect PT, Three Rivers Waterkeeper Appeal DEP Permits For CNX Slickville Natural Gas, Shale Gas Wastewater Pipelines Project In Westmoreland County [PaEN]
-- 66 Water Withdrawals Now Restricted In Susquehanna River Basin Due To Low-Flow Water Conditions, Most Shale Gas-related [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension Hosts Nov. 25 Webinar On Private Water Supply Testing, Education; Helpful To Those In Oil & Gas Drilling Areas Which May Impact Water Wells [PaEN]
-- Center For Coalfield Justice Hosts Dec. 12 Learn How To Effectively Advocate For Change Workshop In Washington County [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Observer-Reporter: Cecil Township Supervisors Approve Ordinance Increasing Setbacks For New Shale Gas Well Pads [PDF of Article]
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Cecil Township Supervisors Pull The Trigger On Frack ‘Ban’ Via Setbacks [PDF of Article]
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition Pushes Back Against Cecil Township’s 2,500 Foot Setback From Well Pads [PDF of Article]
-- Marcellus Drilling News: MarkWest/MPLX To Add Natural Gas Liquids Processing Plant At Harmon Creek Facility In Smith Twp., Washington County [PDF of Article]
-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: As Fracking Turns 20 In Pennsylvania, Towns Consider New Regulations For Distance Between Homes And Well Pads [Cecil Twp., Washington County] [PDF of Article]
-- The Allegheny Front - Kara Holsopple: Longtime Environmental Official On PA Election Results: People Will Need To Be ‘As Tenacious As The Industry’
-- Observer-Report: Natural Gas Poised To Be Long-Term Energizer In Washington County [PDF of Article] [Last Of A Series]
-- Observer-Reporter Guest Essay: Celebrating 20 Years Of Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Development - By Dave Callahan, Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition & Jeff Kotula, Washington County Chamber of Commerce [PDF of Article]
-- TribLive: Pennsylvanians See Utility Bills Climb Despite Living In One Of America’s Most Productive Natural Gas States
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Coterra Energy Expands Curtailment Of Marcellus Drilling, Fracking; No Rigs In Marcellus Due To Low Prices [PDF of Article]
-- Marcellus Drilling News: CEO Of PA Fracking Services Company Says Shale Gas Drillers Are Idle, Hitting Rock Bottom Due To Low Natural Gas Prices [PDF of Article]
-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Deep Well Services Company In Southwest PA To Be Bought By United Arab Emirates Company
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Federal Court Agrees The Environmental Hearing Board Can Hear Appeals Of Transco’s Regional Energy Access Expansion Natural Gas Pipeline Project [PDF of Article]
-- Post-Gazette: Beaver County Styrene Plastics Plant To Shut Down In January Citing Aging Plant
-- TribLive: Pennsylvanians See Utility Bills Climb Despite Living In One Of America’s Most Productive Natural Gas States
-- Marcellus Drilling News: EQT CEO Says Shale Gas Needs To Get Back To Building Pipelines To Export Gas, For AI Boom [PDF of Article]
-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Appalachian Natural Gas Execs Say Demand Likely To Grow In Next Decade Thanks To Rise In LNG Gas Exports, Demand For Data Center Power
-- Utility Dive: FERC Rejects Interconnection Pact For Amazon Data Center At Talen Nuclear Power Plant In Luzerne County
-- Utility Dive: FERC’s Amazon, Talen Energy Ruling ‘Not The Final Word’ On Nuclear, Data Center Colocation: Constellation CEO
-- Reuters: FERC OKs Introduction Of Natural Gas To New LNG Gas Export Facility In Louisiana
-- Politico: European Union’s Opening Bid To Avoid Republican Tariffs: Buy More American LNG Gas
[Posted: November 5, 2024]
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