Philipsburg Officials Approve Seismic Testing, Selling Water For Fracking

Borough council members approved a plan to allow seismic testing and to water for drilling on Monday night.

Cougar Land Services' plan to bond selected roads at $19,500 per mile for seismic testing and to allow the installation of remote ground monitors on pre-approved property was unanimously approved by the borough council.

"It's pretty much out of our control. It's going to happen, we just have to put the numbers on it to protect ourselves," said Philipsburg Mayor John Streno.

Officials also approved plans to allow a company to explore the possibility of collecting and purchasing acid mine runoff at 2.5 cents per gallon.

Streno said the unwanted drainage would be used for out-of-town hydrofracturing operations, where water and sand is blasted thousands of feet underground to release natural gas from the Marcellus Shale.

"Anytime you can take polluted water, snatch it up before it hits the stream, and somebody's going to pay for that? That's like coming to your house and asking to buy your garbage," said Streno.

Council members said they are still reviewing a proposal to lease 150 acres of borough-owned land near the Cold Stream Dam.

Sterno and Borough Manager Jan McDonald told WJAC-TV that leasing the land for drilling is unlikely since the activity would be close to the water source, there are ongoing concerns with the high-hazard dam and officials are still unsure who owns the gas rights to the property.

The council also approved Tim Harper's proposal to form an independent coalition to test and monitor water in the borough and in neighboring Rush Township.

"If we don't have water, we don't have anything. Water is more important than energy," said Harper. "A whole lot of people are concerned. I think it's a shame that our Pennsylvania government is ignoring the cry of the people. They're ignoring it for big money, I think this is very sad."