Apr 21, 2011 By Amy Revak 3 min read

?The Fayette County Zoning Hearing Board approved a special exception request Wednesday that will allow a natural gas drilling company to operate a staging area for water trucks used for Marcellus shale natural gas wells.

Atlas American LLC was seeking the special exception for a public/private works facility for operation of a water staging area for loading water trucks on property in Redstone Township.

Richard Bower, attorney for Atlas, said water will be taken from ponds at the site and pumped into the trucks, and it will then be used for fracturing, or “fracking,” of the Marcellus shale gas wells.

Bower said it would be fresh water that flows out of the pond.

Scott D. Kohne, southwest district land operations manager for Atlas, said the water is pumped into the ponds using a fire hydrant. The water would be provided by the local municipal authority.

The A-1, agricultural rural zoned property is owned by William and Janice Jackson and Karry and Linda Harvey. The site will include three ponds on 42 acres. Each of the ponds can hold 1.1 million gallons.

The site is about 180 feet from the Jackson Farms store and more than 300 feet from the nearest home.

Zoning board solicitor Gretchen Mundorff said there are problems “all around town” with water trucks spilling water. She said there recently was a paint spill in Connellsville from the same type of truck.

Bower objected to Mundorff’s comments, saying the solicitor shouldn’t testify and only has certain duties.

Neil Brown questioned if the water trucks contain kits to deal with spills and was told they do.

The site will operate one shift during daylight hours, with the exception of when drilling occurs, as water is needed 24 hours a day, Kohne said.

Kohne said six trucks can get filled up at one time at the site, and the only noises would be the pumps and diesel engines.

There will not be a building on site, but fire extinguishers will be available.

The ordinance allows noise levels of up to 90 decibels. Zoning board member Paul Bortz Sr. said the operation can be shut down if it is deemed too noisy.

Kohne said he doesn’t believe the decibel level will be higher than 90 decibels, but studies are being done to determine the exact level.

There were no members of the public present to either object to or support the request.

The special exception was approved by Bortz and Brown. It includes the conditions that Atlas must install a chain-link fence of more than 6 feet in height, signs marking the site and emergency procedures, complying with the hours of operation except during drilling operations when it will be permitted 24 hours a day, coordination with school bus schedules and submitting a decibel study when it is completed.