A public hearing Tuesday on an ordinance banning natural gas drilling in Rush Township attracted dozens of supporters — and a lawyer representing drillers who made it clear his clients were not pleased.
Tim Harper, of Philipsburg, was one of half a dozen attendees who spoke in favor of Community Prevention of Natural Gas Extraction Ordinance on behalf of the anti-drilling group Rush for Clean Water. Most of the 50 people present showed their support for the group by applauding each of its speakers after they had finished.
“If we don’t take a stand in a foundational way against these huge corporations, we’re going to get run over,” Harper said.
But Tim Schoonover, representing Anadarko Petroleum and Williams, which both have substantial leaseholds within the township, warned that his clients did not view the ordinance favorably.
“If this ordinance is put in place, it would not be legally enforceable, and on that basis we would ask on behalf of Williams and Anadarko that the supervisors not enact this ordinance,” he said.
Schoonover made no mention of a lawsuit, but many of the anti-drilling speakers did, and said the risk was worth doing what the township can to protect itself from environmental degradation.
“What judge would stand there and say (we) have no constitutional rights to clean air and clean water?” asked resident Rick Martin.
Eric Belcastro, a community organizer with the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, which has assisted anti-drilling movements statewide, said drilling would also lower home values.
“(People) can’t sell their homes because nobody wants to move to a beautiful rural area that has a giant 70-acre (well pad) emitting neurotoxins 24/7,” he said.
Paul Shannon was the only resident to speak against the ordinance.
“There’s a chance all of our taxes get raised to pay for the lawsuits,” he said. “It’s going to go on and on.”
He asked the supervisors to delay any action on limiting gas drilling in the township until after the General Assembly passes an update to the Oil and Gas Act — action that he said was imminent.
“Let’s wait and see what happens and then decide once we get something coming out of Harrisburg, instead of rushing through with this,” he said.
Many of those who spoke at the meeting thanked supervisors Steve Knowles and Mike Savage for listening to their concerns, even though Savage previously had said he was unlikely to support the measure, favoring instead a less severe option that would only limit drilling in areas where drilling might pollute source-water. The township’s third supervisor, Pat Couturiaux, did not attend, drawing the ire of one drilling opponent.
“This is probably the most important thing that this community has ever looked at and it’s a shame that we don’t have the other supervisor here,” said resident Jack Greenwalt.
Contacted before the meeting, Couturiaux said he opposed the ban and had “heard enough.”
“There are a handful of people in the township against the gas-well drilling, and most of these people are coming from all over other townships and areas,” he said.
Couturiaux said he, like Savage, favored the source-water protection plan, and would support the plan when it comes up for a vote. That may happen by late November or early December, after it goes through a mandatory 30-day review by the township and county planning commissions.
A vote on the total ban is also likely at that time.
Cliff White can be reached at 235-3928.
