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Community strength is the story

2 min read

I am writing in response to the Feb. 3 article, “Range withdraws conditional use applications in Mt. Pleasant; new supervisor appointed.” This article shared Range’s perspective on why they withdrew the three conditional use applications; however, there is a very different side to this story.

Since August, a dedicated group of community members in Mt. Pleasant Township has been fighting for the health and safety of their community. This group has worked together tirelessly to fight these proposed well sites, and has sat through conditional use hearing after conditional use hearing to make sure that Range and the township were aware of the harms these well pads would inflict on their community.

The article does not mention that these three proposed well pads were to be placed close to the Fort Cherry Schools, putting our youth in danger. Just last week there was a large well pad fire in North Strabane Township. Regardless of how gas companies try to dismiss concerns, the fact remains that well pads are industrial sites that inherently present serious safety and health risks, both in normal operations and in their potential for disasters. Yet these sites are often located close to homes, local businesses, and schools. Although Range may have said they pulled out of these sites due to the market, the story here is one of community strength.

Eva Westheimer

Washington

Westheimer is a community organizer for the Center for Coalfield Justice.

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