Around the Rivers: Ross Considers Imposing Local Rules on Marcellus Shale Drilling

Ordinances to control Marcellus Shale drilling in Ross Township will soon be on the table for consideration, officials said.

The details of the ordinances are not yet known — even among the officials themselves — Township Manager Wayne Jones said. The board agreed during a committee meeting Monday to have the township solicitor draft the proposals for the board’s review.

An ordinance to control natural gas drilling was , and throughout the past year similar laws have been passed in communities such as South Fayette Township, and .

The rules adopted by the communities aim to limit drilling to certain industrial and/or commercial zones, set buffers around certain facilities such as schools and attempt to control noise levels.

The natural gas companies are fighting back, however. Range Resources, a Ft. Worth, Texas-based driller, is appealing the South Fayette Township ordinance.

No permits for drilling have been issued in Ross Township, according to the records of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. About three dozen permits have been issued in Allegheny County this year — including five in nearby Ohio Township. About five dozen permits were issued in the county in 2010.

At least one lease has been signed giving the option to drill in Ross Township.

The Catholic Cemeteries Association of the Diocese of Pittsburgh is in its third year of a five-year lease signed with Huntley & Huntley, a Pittsburgh-based firm. The lease covers 1,100 acres owned by the Diocese across Allegheny and Washington Counties, including about 142 acres on Cemetery Lane.

But, “there hasn’t been any interest to explore by the gas company,” said Annabelle McGannon, the association’s executive director.

Only about 400 of the 1,100 acres would be available for drilling. The lease allows drilling only on excess land not suitable for burial, McGannon said.

She said there has been no discussion yet about renewing the lease when it expires.

At least one other landowner in Ross Township has been approached about leasing land for drilling. Lisa Herbert, whose family owns 12 acres along Lowries Run Road that is for sale, said she has received offer letters from Range Resources.

But, she said, the offers have been too low to accept. She said she is also philosophically opposed to the idea of permitting drilling on the land, which her family has owned since 2002.

“I don’t feel it's necessary,” she said. “I don’t feel it’s a good thing for the community.”

Jones said the ordinances may come before the board to review as early as Sept. 12.