November date set for West Deer well pad public hearing

West Deer supervisors have set a Nov. 9 public hearing date for another proposed deep well in Bairdford.

Cecil Township-based Olympus Energy is looking to build the Tyche well pad at 201 Bairdford Road, west of the Pittsburgh National Golf Club.

The property is zoned rural residential.

If approved, it would be the company’s second well pad in West Deer.

The proposed gravel well pad would be about 690 by 260 feet with an access road and post-construction stormwater management facilities. About 12 acres would be disturbed to build the well pad and access road.

A 12-inch diameter natural gas pipeline would be built with a 50-foot right of way connecting the proposed Tyche and Leto well pads, according to the application.

The proposed steel pipeline would be built and operated by Hyperion, a subsidiary of Olympus.

On Wednesday, township Supervisors Beverly Jordan, Shirley Hollibaugh, Vernon Frey and James Smullin voted to set the hearing for the proposed Tyche well pad for 6 p.m. Nov. 9 at West Deer Volunteer Fire Department No. 1.

Supervisor David Harrison abstained “to evaluate whether there’s any indirect or direct conflicts of interest,” he said.

Solicitor Gavin Robb said there may be continued dates for the hearing, if needed, on Nov. 14 and 16.

If the plan is approved, Olympus intends to start construction on Tyche in June 2025.

Permit requests increasing

Oil and gas applications and hearings have been flowing through the township over the past couple of months.

• On Sept. 26, the supervisors held a public hearing for the proposed Leto Compressor Station on 305 Oak Road by Olympus. A decision has yet to be rendered in that case.

• On Sept. 20, they voted 4-1, with Harrison abstaining, to approve the Deer Creek interconnect project. The Deer Creek interconnect and associated pipeline will be at 4389 Gibsonia Road on property owned by Allison Park Contractors.

Hyperion representatives said during July hearings that the eastern interconnect pipeline consists of 30- and 20-inch lines, and Leto’s 12-inch diameter pipeline would connect to them. Gas is planned to start flowing through the pipeline in spring 2025.

• In June, the supervisors approved the Leto well pad. That well pad, proposed by Olympus, is off Oak Road behind a Dollar General store. Neighbors have said they plan to appeal the approval.

Olympus had proposed another well pad, named Dionysus, but that was rejected by supervisors in December 2021. Olympus challenged that decision in court but later dropped the appeal.