Murrysville moves injection well ordinance forward for possible vote next month
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Murrysville leaders will likely vote on an ordinance to regulate fracking injection wells at next month’s council session.
Injection wells accept the wastewater, brine and byproducts of unconventional drilling operations, releasing the fluid into porous underground rock formations.
Similar to the fracking ordinance Murrysville put in place several years ago, injection wells are a legal land use that must be accommodated by communities with a zoning ordinance, according to Murrysville Community Development Director Jim Morrison.
“I think we’d all agree that if we had our druthers, we’d not address this topic at all,” Morrison said at a public hearing this week. “But since we’re under the (Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code), we need to regulate injection wells.”
The proposed ordinance would permit injection wells on properties zoned for business. It requires groundwater testing both before and after operations. Wells must be on properties of 5 acres or more, and bore holes cannot be closer than 250 feet to a property line, or 750 from a protected structure with a waiver from the structure’s owner.
Forest Hills resident Tom Pike, a member of citizen environmental nonprofit Protect P-T and Murrysville native, said the proposed ordinance had its pros and cons.
“This would require that an industrial activity take place in the business district where it belongs,” Pike said. “It would prevent the backyard where your children play from becoming an underground industrial landfill.”
Pike said the ordinance could be improved by requiring well operators to carry $25 million in liability insurance.
“Murrysville could require that drilling corporations set aside bonds to pay for the wells to also be plugged once operations are done,” Pike said.
Council voted unanimously to advertise the ordinance — council members Jamie Lingg and Mac McKenna were not present.
“I think the points about insurance and bonding are good, and maybe something we should look into,” council President Dayne Dice said.
Council meets next at 7 p.m. on Aug. 2 at the municipal building, 4100 Sardis Road. Meetings are broadcast live on Comcast local access Channel 21 and livestreamed at Murrysville.com.