Through a recent “Right to Know” request, MWA learned that the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County (MAWC) was approached to lease large areas of land to fracking operator, PH Masterline.
PH Masterline is the Pittsburgh-based company behind the Shannon Compton Well Pad project. This well pad is the first proposed Utica-layer well in the Laurel Highlands. It will also be PH Masterline’s first fracking operation.
Last winter the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approved two permits for the Shannon Compton Well Pad, allowing drilling and earth-moving at the site near Jim Mountain Road (PA Route 653). PH Masterline still needs an air permit and a water management plan before drilling can begin. But where would the water come from?
Fracking a single gas well can require over 5 million gallons of water, enough to fill about 7.5 Olympic sized swimming pools. This water can either be trucked in or pumped in from a local source.
Last fall, there was a discussion between MWA, DEP, PH Masterline, and community members. The operator said that they didn’t want to haul water in with trucks. That left one option: pumping water to the site from a nearby source. The well pad area is” close to MAWC’s Indian Creek Reservoir, a prime water resource in Mill Run, PA.
MWA requested to see communications between MAWC and PH Masterline. We learned that MAWC was approached by PH Masterline to lease their mineral rights for the land encompassing the reservoir (nearly 2,000 acres) to PH Masterline in 2024, showing plans for two additional well pads along the Laurel Ridge. MAWC has not leased water rights to PH Masterline, meaning the Shannon Compton Well Pad still needs a water plan. According to MAWC no mineral rights have been leased at this point, either.
The laterals for the planned pads are shown to stretch north-west, with two going beneath the reservoir. Even without water withdrawal from the reservoir, this could pose a risk to the health of a public water source. PH Masterline has not yet submitted applications for those additional well pads.
If you are concerned about the Indian Creek Reservoir being accessed for fracking, join MWA at the MAWC meeting on May 21! At the meeting, demand that MAWC say no to any wellpad development or water withdrawals from fracking at the Mill Run Reservoir property.
Meeting details:
MAWC Public Meeting
May 21, 12:00 pm
124 Park & Pool Road
New Stanton, PA 15672