from

http://publicsource.org/from-the-source/pittsburgh-suburb-just-deni...

excerpt:

"Citing environmental concerns, a zoning board has denied a permit request by a small drilling company to build the second shale gas well pad in Penn Township, a rural-residential suburb about 20 miles east of Pittsburgh. “The applicant has failed to adequately demonstrate that the drill site operations will not violate the environmental rights of the citizens…” the decision for the Beattie Central Pad-37 states.

Apex Energy, a Wexford-based company, wants to drill 9 wells on the property and has permit requests in with the township for six other pads across the community. “That's a very broad statement that they would make. That's not a typical statement you'd make for zoning,” said Apex CEO Mark Rothenberg. “We were very disappointed … We felt we put in an extremely comprehensive application that addressed all of their concerns.”

“This is huge for us,” said Gillian Graber, president of Protect PT, a citizens group against drilling outside of industrial areas in the township. The group opposed the pad and hired a Pittsburgh-based environmental law firm to represent them at hearings for the site. Members testified at the hearing that they were fearful of how continued development in the community would affect their health, how pollution from the site could impact the environment and how an uptick in industrial operations would affect their way of life."

Apex activities in Penn Township have been discussed here previously, e.g. http://gomarcellusshale.com/group/westmorelandcounty/forum/topics/a...