PENN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Community group Protect Penn-Trafford is speaking out about an Apex Energy fracking well pad slated for construction in Level Green, Penn Township.
On Thursday, group members gathered outside the Department of Environmental Protection’s Pittsburgh headquarters.
“We have a lot of children and a lot of elderly people; we have disabled children in our community. We just do not want to see our community uprooted and upended because of noise, because of light, because of air pollution and because of water pollution,” said Gillian Graber, Protect Penn-Trafford’s Executive Director.
Larry Irr is another.
Graber is just one of the more than 900 people living within a half-mile of the project site.
“Just think, if one of those wells catches on fire or blows up, wow, what is going to happen?” questioned Irr.
Protect Penn-Trafford took legal action against Apex Energy in an effort to block project permits. But group members say the company withdrew those permits and re-applied to avoid litigation.
“Our case for those permits that they withdrew is moot because they longer exist,” said Graber.
Ultimately, the group is calling on the DEP to put a stop to the project and hear out community members’ concerns in a public hearing.
“They’re not willing to bend at all,” said Graber. “They’re not willing to negotiate. They’re not willing to make this better for our community.”
Protest organizers say the DEP permits could be approved within a few days.
The DEP released the following statement:
“The well permit applications submitted by Apex Energy LLC are currently under review by DEP. DEP is obligated to review the applications in accordance with state laws and regulations. DEP received and reviewed comments on the well permit applications from members of the community, including individuals and a non-governmental organization named Protect PT. DEP twice offered to meet with Protect PT to provide a forum to discuss and attempt to resolve concerns. Protect PT indicated that it was not interested in such a meeting in response to DEP’s first offer and Protect PT did not respond to DEP’s second offer.”
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