Elizabeth Township residents raise concerns about construction of well pad site near school
ELIZABETH, Pa. (KDKA) — Construction of a well pad site in Elizabeth Township has neighbors fired up.
They feel the location is a problem with its proximity to Elizabeth Forward High School, and they have now filed an appeal against the township government.
The group Protect Elizabeth Township filed the lawsuit after the township's board of supervisors moved forward with allowing Olympus to build the site within 2,000 feet of the high school.
"The well pad is too close to our high school," Scott Henry said.
Henry is a parent in the district and on the school board. He said the board has no say in this matter since the land is not owned by the school.
"Our goal now as a district is to make sure we have a good safety plan going forward, that our kids are safe," Henry said.
Kellianne Frketic has a child about to go into 9th grade. She is worried about what could be floating around in the air with this site, adding the school doesn't have air conditioning and opened windows would allow particles to come in.
"What's the first thing every parent looks at when they are going to move? The school district. Who is going to send their student to a school that's next to a well pad," Frketic said.
According to the group Marcellus Shale Coalition, there have been numerous studies by the state Department of Environmental Protection and universities to say drilling is safe and carried out responsibly.
Current setback laws require a well to be 500 feet away from a building. This site is more than 1,500 feet. After the auditorium fire and response, Frketic doesn't want to take chances if something goes wrong at the gas site.
"How are they going to get the kids out of there if there's a problem?" Frketic said.
The township said in a statement it does not comment on pending litigation but added the decision by the board of supervisors is met with facts from days of public hearings. The site is required to work with the district if there is an emergency and there are fracking restrictions from Aug. 21 through the end of October and May 1 through June 7.
In a statement from Olympus, it said it will put sound walls around the pad, pipe freshwater to reduce truck traffic and work to minimize any impact on the school.
"We will work with the township, its first responders and the school district to implement a training drill. We also will work closely with the first responders to ensure that they are properly equipped so that they can secure the safety of the community, the school and the larger service area.
"We look forward to continued safe operations in the township, at the Heracles well pad, and throughout our footprint." Olympus said.
For parents, they don't want the site anywhere near the school.
"I just think that of all the places there could possibly be to put this, why would you put it right next to a school? It's ridiculous," Frketic said.
The township said the site will have constant air and noise monitoring.