West Pike Run locals at odds with EQT
Friday, March 30, 2018
A pending ordinance, which would create new rules for oil and gas facilities in West Pike Run, Pennsylvania, is putting many locals’ concerns at odds with the wishes of EQT Corp, according to the Observer-Reporter.
On March 19, the public was invited to attend a meeting to discuss the proposed changes to the township’s rules pertaining to oil and gas in its roughly 30-year-old zoning ordinance. Officials agreed to continue the hearing testimony at 6 p.m. April 16.
The biggest point of contention between locals and EQT is the 1,000-foot setback between the edges of new well pads and “occupied structures” such as houses that the current proposal would require. In addition, the new proposal would call for at least 1,000 feet between “the well head/well bore” and streams, springs and other bodies of water.
EQT is asking for looser setback provisions.
Learn more: Observer-Reporter > Proposed well pad setbacks in W. Pike Run put locals, EQT at odds
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.