Fort Cherry drills Range Resources about its plans

McDONALD – Range Resources representatives met with Fort Cherry School Board and district residents Monday night to answer questions about potential gas well drilling on school property.
Board members questioned attorneys about air quality, safety of students and truck traffic. Range already has property leased for drilling around the school property.
The company has leased enough property around the school campus to begin drilling, said oil and gas properties broker Lawrence Edelstein.
“We’re not here to force the district to participate. We’d love it if you will,” he said.
He said Range will drill vertically 6,500 feet to the Marcellus Shale and then drill horizontally. From the well site near the school, Range plans to drill 10 wells. Five wells will be to the west and five to the southeast, said Range contract landman Michael Hopkins. Should the board agree to a lease, there will be no surface drilling on school property, Edelstein said.
School board member Chris Lauff asked what Range does about air quality because that issue came up during the public comment portion of the meeting.
“We abide by all laws,” Edelstein said, adding that other environmental concerns are brought up in communities, but air quality doesn’t come up that often.
He said Range has worked hand in hand with other municipalities to resolve environmental issues and would do the same with Fort Cherry.
Lauff also questioned the truck traffic that would occur at the entrance to the drilling site that is across the street from the entrance to the school property.
Edelstein said Range had to come up with a similar solution for Trinity Area School District. He said some trucks will be staged to reduce traffic during hours when buses are running.
“It is not in our best interest to compete with bus traffic,” he said.
Since the school is across the street from the drilling site, Lauff asked how Range will protect students from accessing ponds and equipment there.
Edelstein said the site will be fenced in and the company will have security there.
Lauff also questioned whether Range has background checks for its employees and subcontractors. Edelstein said there is some level of checks, but he didn’t have more details.
Board member Brant T. Miller questioned if Range was planning to have bunkhouses on the site, and if so, would employees have the same clearances as school employees.
Edelstein said a decision hasn’t been made about the bunkhouses.
Range is working on the site now and within months will begin drilling. The length of time will depend on how many wells are drilled, Edelstein said.
The discussion came after a few residents questioned the board about the drilling.
Dorothy Bassett of Midway told the board about articles she read in oil and gas journals about vapor capture technology that prevents toxic gases from going into the air and eliminates need for giant frac pits, she said. The wells should not be completed without that technology, Bassett said.
Lillian Reynolds of Robinson Township said she is worried about the air quality since some students have respiratory problems.