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Board rejects expansion of gas compression stations, bunk houses
The board denied a request from MarkWest Liberty Midstream to expand its Fulton and Stewart gas compressing stations. The company had made the request to add two engines at each site and expand the steel structures. The company processes gas for Range Resources.
The Fulton site is located on Washington Road with the Stewart site on Caldwell Avenue.
The company had been denied a building permit and hearings on its appeal were held in March. At the time, residents complained about odors, noise and lighting. Attorneys for MarkWest had said the company was entitled to expand under the state's Oil and Gas Act.
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The decision leaves Bob and Debbie Hanes in limbo. The couple lives 700 feet from the Fulton station and its four compressors. MarkWest had said it would take measures to reduce noise at the station at the same time it is installing the fifth compressor but cannot do so without a building permit. The couple said they hope the township and MarkWest will work together to reduce the noise of the compressors already in use.
The zoning hearing board said there is nothing in the current township zoning ordinance which addresses such gas activities. The township's last zoning ordinance was adopted in 2006, prior to Marcellus Shale gas drilling in Mt. Pleasant. The township is working on an amendment to its ordinance to keep pace with gas activities.
Also at the meeting, the board denied a request from Range Resources to locate temporary bunk houses at its drilling sites. The trailers would house workers who are working at drill sites.
Some residents expressed concern that workers would be housed close to Ft. Cherry schools and the Agape camp. Police Chief Lewis McQuillen said his greatest concern is that there are no 911 addresses at drilling sites in case of an emergency. A company representative said officials are working with the county's 911 system to provide addresses for the sites.
Similar bunk houses are used at drilling sites in other parts of the country, according to Matt Pitzarella, public relations manager for Range Resources, who said "We've successfully established stringent, yet fair ordinances with several local townships for residents to legally develop their mineral rights. Unfortunately, Mt. Pleasant has not shared that willingness to work together."
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work together? : 5/13/2010
when has the gas industrie worked with the community? never! these building were built without building permits! illegal? yes! they didn't get their way so they took their ball and went home! work together? what a joke! guess hickory is standing up to these tycoons, thank you! others should take note!
RR doesn't show up : 5/13/2010
FYI, there have been a number of meeting that RR either doen't want to participate in or cancels at the last minute. This happened last year at Ft. Cherry HS panel discussion as well as with MTP to discuss their ordinance concerns. They simply want it their way or not at all. You are not leaving RR - the gas is here, so you better start cooperating. The zoning laws are not written for you!
: 5/13/2010
Willingness? Range steamrolled this township and now they are being stood up too. Good for the community, now watch the election and see what these people who received donations from them do once elected.
Compression Station Denial : 5/13/2010
It's unfortunate the township officials did not to approve building permit in order to address noise issues for Mr. and Mrs. Hanes. I guess Hickory is standing up to these tycoons, without considering the negative consequences on Hickory residents.
Bunk Houses : 5/14/2010
To all the people complaining about the bunk houses, let me ask a question. So you would rather have these so called bad guys living in rented houses and apartments in your neighborhood instead of all together on a monitored drill site? And to the people complaining about the Township not getting anything, what about the money you could have got in temporary building permit fees for these structures? Now you will get nothing as a township just the landlords where they are staying will. And by the way about there are over 150 living within the Township already on a temporary basis in apartments and houses.
We are not bad guys : 5/14/2010
Why do you act like we are criminals we are up here to make a living to take care of our families!!! not one of us wants to be here but we are..We are just as much human as yall...Its really sad that you are all so ignorant!! These houses would be a great idea fot the workers because of all the long hours they work...Lets see you go out and work 18 hour shifts and go home and maybe 4 hours of sleep..you couldnt do it!!! you would think with the way you talk about us we are murderers and sex offenders..My neighbors that are from here cause more people for people in the neighborhood then we would ever do!!!have respect stop flippin us off as we drive down the street with our kids in the car and while you cuss at us with our kids in the cars..Shows you people have a lot of class!!!!
Bunk Houses : 5/14/2010
This is not rural Wyoming, and there are many alternatives to bunk houses within a shor distaance of the drill sites, this would inlcude hotels, campgraounds and rentals. Yes, the rentals are preferable to bunk houses, they are equiped to handle both sewage and garbarge generated from the inhabitants. Although my property is not leased, I had in the passed negative consequences from the activity. We not take the money from the seismic testing company, because we did not want our fences climbed or machines to tear up the ground, however we found workers scaling our fences and survey stakes and like, so it is time the township protects the residences. This is our home, not some job site to us. It is in all of the residents interest for the local leaders to protect both our quality of life and the values of those owners who are affected by the activity, but not receiving compensation.
: 5/14/2010
Maybe we flip you the finger because you just ran us and our kids off the road while doing 70mph!
Drving : 5/17/2010
First of all your flipping our wives off and cussing at them while they are in our personnal vehicles... There is no excuse for yalls behavior..But if that was one of us that did that to yall all hell would break lose... My kids shouldnt have to be exposed this ignorant behavior and its sad that its acceptable behavior up here since yall were never raised with manors I take it... And just for example some guy pulled up to my wifes car yesterday at Kohls with my 2 kids and screamed and cussed out her for being from down south and when she came out the whole side of our vehicle was keyed all down the passenger side to the metal.. Now is this ok??? I work hard for what we have and for you to think you have the right to destroy our personel property.. Dont take it out on us we are up here for work your neighbors are the ones signing the leases!!!
Drilling : 5/17/2010
Yall keep complaining but if your neighbors would stop signing the leases we could happily go home! So go talk to your neighbors who are making the money we are just here for a paycheck.
Economy : 6/2/2010
This boom will build this state back up from the terrible loss of those nasty, dirty smog filled steel mills you had before. But this is clean. Yes it's loud and dirty while being drilled but after that you will never know we were even here. We come to town and drink at your bars eat at your restuarants get oild changes sleep in hotels tires for truck hire locals that need jobs. Damn we are horrible people. Suck it up and get a job that pays 90,000 a year for your hard work.
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