Newfield & Damascus drilling agreement

Residents object at township meeting

By TOM KANE

DAMASCUS, PA — Residents were taken by surprise on June 21 when they learned at the last minute that there would be an important gas drilling agreement announced between Newfield Exploration Company and Damascus Township at the monthly meeting of township supervisors.

The event was not publicized beforehand.

“I just heard about it from a neighbor,” said a resident. “Why wouldn’t this be announced before?”

Damascus solicitor Jeffrey Treat and Newfield attorney Kenneth Komoroski presented plans and goals for gas drilling in the township developed by Newfield and agreed to by the Damascus supervisors. The plans and goals statement was the result of an unofficial meeting of the three supervisors and Newfield, which had taken place last week.

“It was an illegal meeting because you didn’t announce it and had a quorum of supervisors present,” said Damascus resident Barbara Arindell, one of the principals of Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, a group that has opposed drilling from the beginning. “It is against the Sunshine Law.”

“I beg to differ with you,” Treat said. “The Sunshine Law says that no official actions can be taken at such a meeting. No such official actions were taken.”

Treat read a long document that basically outlined how the company agreed to refurbish any township roads that might be ruined by its trucks.

“Who decides if a road is ruined?” asked an angry resident.

“What is the time frame?” asked another.

“Who is going to inspect the roads before and after? Newfield?” yelled another.

“When will the repairs be done, at the end of the project? What if the roads are ruined in the middle of the drilling?” said another.

“This is better than bonding,” Dexter said. “A bond can’t be for more that $5,000 by law. This is far better for the township.”

Dexter showed residents several documents that related to the drilling operation, including the official erosion and sediment permit, a copy of the permit from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and other documents.

“These are available for inspection here in the township office,” he said.

“I’m here because you intend to do fracking under the river district, which we oppose,” said Tracy Carluccio of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network.

Newfield drilling manager Joe Johnson did not deny it. “We will do what makes economic sense,” he said.

Dexter and Komoroski said that the township website would carry all relevant data about the drilling plans. There would also be a hotline phone number for reporting any problems residents may have with the project. The township will publicize the number when it is in place. Newfield would provide a PDF file of relevant information, Komoroski said.

Johnson said that there will be two to four exploratory drill sites, already permitted by the state, in the township. “Each drill site can have as many as eight wells per pad,” he said. “It’s important for the township residents to know what’s happening.”

A drilling rig has been erected at the well site on Route 191 in Lookout, PA.

The company and the township supervisors agreed to hold another informational meeting in two or three weeks.