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'Scoping' process under way on forest drilling rules |
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Written by Publisher
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Tuesday, 10 March 2009 |
Photo by Ted Lutz
This is a portion of the standing-room-only crowd at a public meeting Monday on Forest Service plans to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) on criteria for oil and gas drilling in the Allegheny National Forest (ANF). More than 80 attended the 90-minute program at the new ANF office building in North Warren.
By Ted Lutz
Republican Staff
NORTH WARREN - The "scoping" process is under way for possible changes in "design criteria" for the drilling of oil and gas wells within the Allegheny National Forest (ANF).
More than 80 attended a public meeting Monday at the new ANF office building on Route 62 in North Warren. Similar meetings are slated tonight at Rice Auditorium at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford and Wednesday night at the Holiday Inn in Clarion. The meetings are slated at 7 p.m.
Under the "scoping" process, the U.S. Forest Service will seek public opinion to determine the issues to be addressed in a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Forest Plan approved in 2007.
According to the Forest Service, the "issues will be the basis for development of alternatives that will be addressed in the SEIS."
A proposed schedule shows that the Forest Service plans to prepare preliminary alternatives by the end of April. After more public comments, the Forest Service will release its "revised" preliminary alternatives by May 20. The Forest Service plans to publish a draft of its SEIS on July 10. A 90-day comment period then begins.
Public meetings to explain the draft SEIS are slated for July 20-22. A final SEIS is expected to be issued by Dec. 11, according to the Forest Service timetable.
The U.S. Forest Service has approved the 2007 Forest Plan as it stands - except for three areas involving oil and gas drilling.
These exceptions include:
*There is a need to provide public comment on the design criteria for oil and gas development.
*There is a need to better describe the ANF's legal authority to determine the "reasonable use of surface resources" when private companies obtain permits to extract oil and gas from the subsurface mineral rights they own or lease. About 93 percent of the subsurface mineral rights in the 513,000-acre ANF is privately owned. The federal government did not acquire the mineral rights when it obtained property for the ANF about 85 years ago.
*There is a need to evaluate and disclose "potential cumulative effects" from emissions of methane and hydrogen sulfide and emissions from vehicles and equipment used in oil and gas development in the ANF.
Leanne Marten, supervisor of the ANF, said the Forest Service is "not starting from scratch" in preparing the SEIS. She said much of the "scientific evidence" has been included in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Forest Plan approved two years ago.
The standing-room-only crowd at Monday's forum included municipal officials, members of the oil and gas industry and critics who oppose drilling in the ANF.
Former U.S. Rep. John Peterson (R-Pleasantville) attended, but did not offer comments. He retired from office when his term expired Dec. 31.
In a statement, incoming U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Centre County) said action to limit or curtail drilling would result in "a major blow" to the local economy.
He pointed out that companies such as the American Refining Group (ARG) in Bradford have a major stake in the oil and gas beneath the surface of the forest. He said the jobs ARG provides are "no small part of the local economy."
Thompson, in his message, said he finds it "incredible" that steps could be considered to "prevent or delay the development" of privately-owned "natural resources."
Bill Belitskus of Hamlin Township, one of the critics of drilling, claims the Forest Service is being directed to prepare the SEIS now because it "ignored" oil and gas development as a "significant issue" in preparing the 2007 Forest Plan.
Marten said the Forest Service is going "above and beyond" the mandates to provide public participation in the creation of alternatives for the SEIS.
It has been pointed that no alternative will be proposed that denies "reasonable and necessary access" to privately-owned mineral rights in the ANF.
Tony Scardina, the Bradford district ranger, and Rob Fallon, the Marienville district ranger, assisted Marten at the 90-minute meeting.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 30 July 2009 )
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