Perhaps the largest Marcellus Shale gas well pad in the state is being located in Nottingham, just one-quarter of a mile from its border with Peters, council members learned Monday.
In its application to the state Department of Environmental Protection, driller EQT is required to provide neighboring areas, including those in Peters, with details of its Lutes well pad on Lutes Road.
The pad site is within a half-mile of Rees Park and two residential developments – Pine Creek and Cornerstone – according to maps provided by the Pittsburgh-based drilling company.
One council member and resident expressed concern about the size of the well pad and its proximity to neighborhoods.
“To me, this is probably the biggest well pad in Pennsylvania, if not the tri-state area,” said Bob Donnan, a Peters resident who has been an anti-drilling activist in recent years.
Mr. Donnan reminded council members of the half-mile evacuation zone for residents in Greene County during a February 2014 gas explosion that killed one worker. It took well control specialists two weeks to gain full control over the blaze, Mr. Donnan said, and the well pad included two wells.
He expressed concern over what he called “superpads” in neighboring Nottingham and Union, where two other sites have 12 wells and 20 wells at each pad.
“The well pad approved in Nottingham Township violates the Constitution of the state of Pennsylvania,” said council President David Ball, who said Nottingham officials were “negligent” in approving gas well drilling in a residential area.
Council members also questioned what would happen if there was a leak or explosion.
“We are likely to be affected by anything that comes off this pad,” Mr. Ball said of the Lutes pad. “It’s going to be happening around us.”
“The responsibility is on the company to alert people of danger,” solicitor John Smith told council.
EQT spokeswoman Linda Robertson said the well pad is still in the planning stages and the final product may differ from what is being proposed.
“We’re currently evaluating the logistics of the proposed site so everything is still in the planning stages,” Ms. Robertson said. “There may or may not be that number of wells once everything is said and done. We will work with land owners and officials to find best route to cause minimal disturbance.”
Ms.Robertson wasn’t sure if the Lutes pad would be the largest in the state and also couldn’t address concerns over emergency notifications yet.
“We will work diligently to address all concerns, but we’re not really at that stage yet,” she said. “Things that are proposed don’t always end up happening.”
Councilman Gary Stiegel Jr. said the township might be alerted to an accident by the Department of Environmental Protection or by its own first responders, who have undergone training for gas-well-related mishaps.
The Lutes pad has received site plan approval from Nottingham and is awaiting approval from the DEP before drilling can begin.
There is no drilling yet in Peters, though the township is considering whether to lease public property. It is surrounded by drilling activity, but the Lutes well will be the closest thus far.
Also Monday, council voted 6-1 to guarantee a bond issue of as much as $7.5 million for the township sanitary authority.
The authority is planning a $22.8 million expansion of the 50-year-old Donaldson’s Crossroads Sewage Treatment Plant on West McMurray Road.
The authority recently received an $11 million low-interest loan from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority – commonly called PennVest – and the authority wants to supplement the loan with a bond issue.
The township's AA credit rating is expected to save the authority between $650,000 and $1.3 million in interest costs over a typical bond issue.
The new construction, slated to begin in January, would result in higher bills for ratepayers, who typically pay about $35 per month now. Construction should be completed by December 2017.
Customers can expect a 13 percent hike in rates in January and another 10-12 percent increase in 2018 for an average bill of about $44 per month.
The authority will be responsible for providing semi-annual financial reports and audits to the township to ensure the 25-year repayment schedule is being kept current. If the authority should default on the bond, the township could increase rates further to pay the debt.
Capacity at the plant will increase by 45 percent through the expansion, which will also address wet weather overflows and discharges of untreated wastewater into Canonsburg Lake.
The plant serves mostly commercial customers and residents living in the southwestern portion of the township.
Council member Frank Arcuri was the only dissenter. Mr. Arcuri said he was concerned about language in the agreement.
“A lot of this doesn’t seem right to me,” he said of the agreement.
Also Monday, council:
- Changed council meeting dates next month to Dec. 7 and Dec. 14. Council is expected to adopt a final budget at the latter meeting. There will be no meeting Dec. 21 as previously scheduled.
- Scheduled a public hearing for Dec. 14 to consider a request by Eddy Land Company to amend a previous decision for the Crossings 7 patio home development to allow only emergency vehicles to use an access road to the site. Council previously ruled that school buses and other school vehicles could use the road, which links the development to Pleasant Valley Elementary School.
- Approved amending the job description for public works director to expand educational and other job requirements. Current director Peter Overcashier is expected to retire next year.
- Approved a contract with Glassmere Fuel Service in Tarentum for an estimated 34,000 gallons of gasoline and 27,000 gallons of diesel fuel for $104,320. The variable price is nearly $50,000 lower than last year’s rates.
Janice Crompton: jcrompton@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1159.
First Published: November 13, 2015, 5:00 a.m.