Fayette commissioners take step to prevent injection wells
The Fayette County commissioners took action Thursday to prevent injection wells from coming to the area in the future.
The commissioners voted unanimously to have the county department of planning, zoning and community development, and the Fayette County Planning Commission develop an ordinance to limit the sites.
This move comes after G2 STEM LLC withdrew an application for an injection well in Nicholson Township earlier this month. The proposal was met with stiff public opposition, including from the county commissioners.
G2 STEM had applied for a permit to dispose of fluids associated with oil and gas production into the Balltown Sandstone Formation about 3,400 feet underground. Opponents raised concerns that the waste can contain heavy metals, man-made chemicals and radioactive materials.
Commissioner Scott Dunn said the ordinance will amend the township鈥檚 zoning code, and that the county will work with Fayette鈥檚 municipalities that manage their own zoning to achieve similar results.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to move forward with making sure that these sites don鈥檛 happen in Fayette County,鈥� Dunn said.
Dunn, along with Commissioners Vince Vicites and Dave Lohr, passed a resolution in July opposing the Nicholson Township project.
After the application was withdrawn, Dunn expressed that the injection well would have been a risk to agriculture and the water supply.
At Thursday鈥檚 meeting, Vicites reaffirmed the commissioners鈥� opposition to injection wells in Fayette County.
鈥淲e鈥檝e all been working diligently as a board of commissioners to prevent this from happening. We鈥檙e against this,鈥� Vicites said. 鈥淚t goes against long-term growth and development 鈥� We鈥檙e embarking on a putting a chapter in our zoning ordinance to make sure we are on offense when it comes to this.鈥�