Residents challenge zoning permit in area “consistent with agricultural use.”

By Steve Mocarskysmocarsky@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

WILKES-BARRE – Some Luzerne County residents have taken legal action challenging the issuance of a zoning permit for a proposed natural gas well drilling site in Lehman Township.

Township residents Dr. Tom Jiunta, Brian and Jennifer Doran and Joseph Rutchauskas are objecting to township supervisors on April 13 granting Whitmar Exploration Co. and EnCana Oil & Gas a conditional use permit for placing a natural gas well on part of an approximately 120-acre site located at 100 Peaceful Valley Road owned by Russell W. Lansberry and Larry Lansberry.

A previous story incorrectly identified the well site as being in Lake Township on property on Soltis Road owned by Amy and Robert Salansky. There has been no appeal of a special-use permit that the Luzerne County Zoning Hearing Board approved for that site in May.

Attorney Jack Dean, of Elliott Greenleaf & Dean, filed a notice of appeal of the Lehman Township supervisors’ decision on Monday with the county Prothonotary’s Office on behalf of the objectors.

“There is no credible argument that this industrial use of gas drilling, with the massive disruption that it causes, is consistent with agricultural use, which is what the area is zoned, or with the character of the community,” Dean said.

According to the notice, the supervisors’ decision is contrary to the township zoning ordinance and constitutes an error of law or manifest abuse of discretion in that:

• Gas drilling on the property would jeopardize the community development objectives of the ordinance and adversely affect the health, safety and welfare of the public and the environment.

• Public services and facilities such as streets, sewage disposal, water, police and fire protection are not adequate for the proposed use.

• Existing and future streets and access to the site will not be adequate for emergency services, for avoiding undue congestion and for providing for the public safety and convenience of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and unsafe and/or dangerous traffic conditions will result.

• The nature and intensity of the operation would not be compatible with adjoining development and the character of the zoning district.

• The proposed use would lower the value of nearby properties.

• The proposed use will be more objectionable in terms of noise, fumes, odors, vibration or lighting than other operations permitted in an agricultural district.

At an April 13 public hearing, which EnCana officials did not attend, the supervisors voted unanimously to approve the application if certain conditions were met, including posting bonds totaling $45,732 to maintain Firehouse and Peaceful Valley roads, keeping drilling-related traffic on Firehouse Road and state Route 118 and off Old Route 115, providing adequate insurance coverage for the township and that EnCana sign a legal agreement holding it to its commitment.

Supervisors Vice Chairman Ray Iwanowski made the motion to enact the ordinance and Chairman David Sutton and Supervisor Douglas Ide voted yes. For ethics reasons, only Iwanowski could make the motion; and neither Sutton nor Ide could participate in any questions about the vote or make the original motion because they have personal ties to gas drilling. Ide leased some of his own land for gas drilling, and Sutton consults property owners concerning drilling.

The Lansberry site likely would be EnCana’s third well site in the county if EnCana’s plans are not held up by the appeal. The company plans to begin drilling its first well in the county in July at a Fairmount Township site located off state Route 118 between Tripp and Mossville roads and owned by Edward Buda.

EnCana in May had received approval from the Luzerne County Zoning Hearing Board for a drilling site on property at 133 Soltis Road in Lake Township and owned by township Supervisor Amy Salansky and her husband, Paul.

Steve Mocarsky, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 970-7311.

Copyright: Times Leader