Supervisor: Traffic from Worstell Impoundment an Act 13 Cautionary Tale

A traffic-counting device placed out on Swihart Road show that trucks hauling waste water to the Worstell Impoundment travel the rural Cecil Township throughway 24-hours a day.

In fact, Supervisor Andy Schrader told those who attended the board's meeting earlier this month that trucks are making 80 trips a day to and from the Range Resources-run site.

That's one every 18 minutes, he said.

By contrast, he said only 25 cars reportedly drove down Swihart on the four days for which the township has data—from a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

"This is a perfect example of why we challenged Act 13," Schrader said.

Act 13 is the state's new law governing oil and gas activities—portions of which were stuck down last year. That decision was appealed and a ruling from the state Supreme Court is expected sometime in the coming months.

"Act 13 states impoundments are a permitted use in all zoning districts. The only requirement is that they remain 300 feet from a house or structure," Schrader said. 

While this has been a concern for some residents who live on Swihart Road near the site, he said it should be a concern for people across the Commonwealth.

"This should concern all area residents," he said. "It means any township road—even in a residential development—could have frac trucks driving driving to and from the site every 20 minutes, 24 hours a day every day of the year."

Also a concern for him?

"The (state Department of Environmental Protection) allows them to remain in operation for years," Schrader said.