Shohola to test wells

Preparing for gas drilling

By TOM KANE

SHOHOLA, PA — The Shohola supervisors will use a grant from the Upper Delaware Council (UDC) to pay for the testing of selected wells in the township.

“We need to establish base line documentation for future reference,” said chairman Steve Dellert. The information will be used in the future as instances of gas drilling grow in the township.

Numerous authorities have warned property owners to have their wells tested so that if contamination from gas drilling operations occurs, residents can prove that it was caused by the drilling, Dellert said.

The money to pay for the Shohola tests will come from a technical assistance grant (TAG) which is available to municipalities who are members of the UDC for the purpose of planning or improving the development of the townships. The average grant is around $1,000 or more.

The cost of a full range of testing can reach several hundred dollars or even more.

“Peter Wulfhorst of the Pike County Penn State Cooperative Extension will assist the township with this effort,”Dellert said.

In other township business, Shohola Constable D. Roa informed the supervisors and members of the audience of the rash of burglaries that have been occurring in the area.

“We have had 14 instances of burglary in the township since February,” Roa said. “In 2007 we have had 116 instances. In this year up to now we have had 165 burglaries, and the year is only half over.”

Roa said that most of the homes that are hit belong to part-time residents. “Make sure you lock your doors,” he said.