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Many turned out to try to get council to consider meeting on fracking ordinance.
HARVEYS LAKE – Many residents expressed feelings about not being heard or acknowledged on natural gas drilling concerns as they left Tuesday night’s borough council meeting.
Residents turned out in force hoping to have the council consider holding a public meeting to discuss an anti-fracking ordinance prepared by the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund.
Copies of the proposal, labeled the Harveys Lake Community Water Rights and Local Self Government Ordinance, were available on the back table. Resident Peggy Cronin said copies were sent to each council member 2 1/2 weeks ago.
The proposed ordinance states “water is essential for the life, prosperity, and sustain-ability and health of the lake community and damage to the natural water sources imposes a great tangible loss to the people, natural communities, and ecosystem of Harveys Lake.”
The proposal would determine it to be “unlawful for any corporation to extract water from any source, surface or subsurface, within the borough for extraction of natural gas.”
It also holds corporations involved in neighboring municipalities responsible for pollution caused to borough water sources and the environment. And most important, it prohibits any corporation from extracting natural gas within the borough.
Neil Turner, a 40-year resident, said most of the owners of the properties around him have signed leases. He said it is a known fact the real estate market in gas drilling areas has dropped 20 percent because of the threat of air and water pollution.
“What can we do?” he said. “Contact our state and local legislature, control it through local zoning and with local rights and self government. Or do nothing and accept the consequences.”
He said that under the borough’s current zoning laws, drilling is only allowed in a manufacturing district. The manufacturing district is limited to about 50 acres in one section of the borough.
“But yet the whole mountain around me is leased,” he said.
Resident and member of the Harveys Lake Protective Association John Halbing said the “protective association is for this lake should be protected.”
“Our best shot is with this agreement,” he said.
Resident Michelle Boice said not only does the borough need to protect itself, but it also needs protection from neighbors who may allow gas drilling under the borough’s boundaries.
Up next
The next borough council meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 21, in the municipal building.