West Newton debates pumping Yough water to Chevron wells
A public forum is slated for Monday in West Newton, as Chevron Appalachia LLC seeks to pump water from the Youghiogheny River to fracking operations in South Huntingdon Township.
“Chevron approached the borough of West Newton during their regular monthly (council) meeting in regards to a proposed right-of-way for a fresh water pipe that will traverse approximately 416 feet of borough property,” said Trip Oliver, Chevron public affairs manager.
Two West Newton councilors said the pump will send one million gallons a day to each of seven gas wells in South Huntingdon.
“They want to put the pump on borough property,” Councilwoman Arlene K. Tomich said. “It would be located between our sewage plant and the R&R Junkyard. The pipe would be 16 inches and the water line would run for six and a half miles.”
Chevron North America Upstream External Affairs Advisor Brenda Cosola said the proposed location for the pumps will be outside West Newton borough limits in South Huntingdon. Borough Council President George Mollovich concurred.
“It probably will be (on) an obscure piece of property, half a mile from the nearest residential properties,” Mollovich said.
“The fresh water line has not yet been designed as that is the next step after securing all of the land agreements and rights of way,” Cosola said. “(The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) will govern and determine the water withdrawal criteria.”
Tomich and colleague Connie Pollock said Chevron offered $8,000 for the right to set up the pump.
“They propose to give some money to the borough,” West Newton Mayor Mary Popovich said.
Tomich and Pollock want borough residents to attend a town meeting Monday at 6 p.m., prior to a council work session and its regular voting meeting. The mayor wants input, too.
“They were dickering back and forth,” Popovich said. “and I suggested, ‘why don’t you have a meeting where people in the borough can directly ask questions of Chevron?'”
An alternative would be to truck water.
“Chevron is committed to safety and prefers to transport fresh water through water pipelines where possible, rather than trucks,” Oliver said. “This proposed water pipeline project will significantly reduce truck traffic in the surrounding areas.”
Tomich wants neither pipes nor trucks.
“I believe tri-axle trucks would weigh 73,280 pounds,” the councilwoman said. “If the made a decision to (use trucks) we could possibly stop them from going to the river by using weight limits.”
Cosola said all water trucking done by Chevron follows bonded routes. Also, she said, “Chevron has no intention to use the withdrawal site or the West Newton Municipal Authority site for trucking water.”
Pollock is concerned about noise.
“Pump noise is estimated to be equivalent to the current vehicle traffic on the adjacent Sutersville Road,” Cosola said.
Pollock said there are times when the Yough is so low that “you can walk across,” and a risk of earthquakes such as those Ohio fracking reportedly caused across the state line in Lawrence County.
“You can hardly feel them, they say, but I don’t want to feel any of them,” Pollock said. She also is concerned about flooding if a pipe breaks.
Tomich and Pollock also are concerned about impact on a borough designated as a Great Allegheny Passage “Trail Town” by The Progress Fund, where the old train station was restored as a visitors’ center and restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts cater to cyclists.
“It brings money into West Newton,” Tomich said. “We don’t want to take anything that would interfere with us and our economic building of West Newton.”
The trail runs along the west bank of the Yough, while the pump would go on the east bank, downstream from the West Newton boat launch.
“I’m very well aware that our community has been centered around recreation,” Popovich said. “I’m an advocate for preserving natural resources. They have to get permission from the DEP and there have to be guidelines.”
A spokeswoman at DEP’s Southwest Regional Office said Chevron has filed a standard water management plan for its Pennsylvania operations but not a specific application for a West Newton pump.
“DEP (has) not received amendments related to this issue,” Community Relations Coordinator Lauren Fraley said. “We have also received no permit applications related to this project to date.”
Tomich and Pollock also asked residents to contact state lawmakers and the Fish and Boat Commission.
“I am in the process of trying to gather as much information as I can about the situation,” said state Rep. Justin Walsh, R-Rostraver Township, who represents West Newton along with state Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield Township.
Tomich and Pollock circulated a flier regarding the meeting, which was posted on the Downtown West Newton Inc. Facebook page.
“We are posting this as a courtesy to the (borough) since we unfortunately no longer have (the now-defunct weekly) Times-Sun,” said officials of Downtown West Newton Inc., part of the Mon Valley Initiative.
Lack of news coverage also was an issue at a recent West Newton “Reimagining Our Westmoreland” event where the Westmoreland County Department of Planning and Development sought input for a new comprehensive plan.
“Let’s stand together and work together to keep our community one we can all be proud of,” Tomich said.