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Commissioners face many queries as WVSA has agreed to study putting facility there.
HANOVER TWP. — Residents are trying to head off the possibility of a frack water treatment facility from locating in the township.
Residents of the township, its surrounding municipalities and from as far away as Exeter bombarded commissioners at Monday night’s meeting with questions about a facility locating at the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority in the Breslau section.
Members of the Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition also pushed commissioners for answers. No one from the sanitary authority has approached the township with any plans at this time, commissioners said.
Fracking water is a mixture of water, sand and a variety of chemicals that is forced down a gas well at high pressure and is used to fracture underground rock, allowing natural gas to escape and to be extracted. Currently what’s used in the mixture is not regulated in Pennsylvania.
“We have not been contacted by the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority,” said acting Commissioner Chairman Brian McDermott. “I don’t think they’ve approached anyone in the township yet.”
McDermott and Commissioner Michael Mazur are employed by the authority. Both said they will excuse themselves from any vote on the matter regarding a treatment facility.
Scott Cannon of Plymouth handed out pamphlets to residents and commissioners detailing the impact that the facility would have on the community. Cannon believes Breslau would have approximately 576 tanker trucks passing through each day as well as a reduction in air quality, home values and the always-present danger of a hazardous chemical spill.
On top of that, the Susquehanna River is right next to the facility, he said.
“Why would you want a toxic waste facility in a residential neighborhood?” said Cannon. “The only reason frack water isn’t classified toxic is because of a loophole in the law.”
The sanitary authority entered into an agreement on March 15 to study the possibility of allowing the facility to locate there.
Past township Commissioner Frank Ciavarella urged commissioners to hurry and pass an ordinance against allowing a frack water facility from entering the township. He said the township would have to pass the ordinance before the sanitary authority approached the township with any plans.
Solicitor Robert Davison said the township can’t ban something that’s legally allowed in the state. However, the township can regulate it, he said.
“The Oil and Gas Act of Pennsylvania preempts 95 percent of what we can do,” said Davison. “It’s something I’m looking into.”
LeeAnn Wallace of Breslau said her property value has already gone down because of DMS Shredding, an auto and metal recycling plant located approximately 300 feet from her house. If the frack water facility opens, it will only get worse, she said.
“I already deal with the constant explosions from DMS,” she said. “Now I don’t want a toxic waste facility in my backyard.”
Code Enforcement Officer Al Broody said the first place the sanitary authority would have to go would be to him with its plans. As of now, he hasn’t been contacted.
“I’ll be the first to know,” said Broody.
What’s next?
The next meeting of the Hanover Township commissioners will be at 7 p.m. May 9.