Kiski Township OKs drilling rules
Kiski Township has opened its doors for oil and natural gas exploration.
Township supervisors on Wednesday enacted an ordinance that allows, for the first time, drilling and natural gas operations in the township.
It was approved 4-0, with Supervisor Michael Bash absent.
According to supervisors Chairman Jack Wilmot, the ordinance was put in play weeks ago to accommodate gas companies' growing interest in Kiski Township's farmland and sprawling rural property.
“We've had several drilling representatives over the past couple months inquiring about an ordinance,” Wilmot said. “We're confident now that we're going to begin seeing some offers pretty soon.
“That's money that goes to better roads, police protection, fire services and right on down the line.”
Kiski Township's 13-page ordinance allows for the “reasonable development of land for oil and gas drilling while providing adequate health, safety and general welfare protections of the township's residents.”
Restrictions on the site, noise level and traffic of the operations in question are chief among the provisions included in the ordinance to protect township residents.
The ordinance, for example, relegates all well sites, compressor stations and processing plants to industrial, agricultural and agricultural residential zoning districts.
Areas zoned residential, business and suburban residential are off limits.
Drilling rigs also would be set back a minimum of 1.5 times their height from any property line. All operation sites are prohibited anywhere within 200 feet of buildings registered or eligible for the national or Pennsylvania Register of Historic Places.
To minimize the disturbance of nearby residents, all production equipment must emit an ambient noise level no more than 55 weighed decibels beyond 100 feet. According to the California Department of Transportation, that noise level falls somewhere between a dishwasher running in the next room and the sounds of a large business office.
The township will provide between 5 and 10 decibels of leeway during drilling activities, hydraulic fracturing — or fracking — operations and for 10-minute invervals at compressor stations and processing plants during each one-hour period.
Any noise complaints from residents must be addressed within 24 hours by the energy company.
Following a complaint, company officials will continuously monitor for 48 hours the noise level from the nearest property line or 100 feet of the site to ensure it complies with the ordinance. All findings must be approved by the township.
Whenever possible, energy companies will be required to access their gas or oil well sites from a collector street, a low-to-moderate capacity road which connects traffic from local streets to arterial roads. The companies must also pay road bonds when deemed necessary and agree to “promptly” clear the roadways of any mud, debris or dirt as a result of drilling or natural gas operations.
There's a $500 fine for each day the operation site is not brought into compliance.
The ordinance took effect on Wednesday.
Township supervisors held a public hearing on the ordinance last month to field residents' input.
“No one spoke out about it,” Wilmot said. “Everyone seems pleased with the language to protect their rights and excited to get on board.”
Braden Ashe is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-226-4673 or bashe@tribweb.com.
