PennEnergy to install well on Ekastown Road in Buffalo Township

PennEnergy will be installing a well site in Buffalo Township after gaining approval from township officials.

Construction at the site, located at 765 Ekastown Road, is slated to begin later this summer, said Amanda Peterson, a stakeholder relations manager with PennEnergy.

Some township residents have voiced concerns on social media about the well site. One resident urged people living nearby to voice concerns about the site’s potential impact on the community to local officials, though the project has already been approved.

Though residents on social media have claimed that the township and the energy company failed to provide the public with information on the potential project or a forum to voice their questions and concerns, Buffalo Township Secretary and Treasurer Janice Zubrin said officials did go through proper process before approving the well.

PennEnergy submitted a conditional use request for oil and gas development in late April 2020, she said. The proposal was then reviewed by the township engineer, planning commission and board of supervisors.

Advertising for a public hearing on the topic ran in the Butler Eagle newspaper on two separate dates prior to the public hearing on June 9.

The board of supervisors approved the conditional use application on the same date, Zubrin said.

“PennEnergy Resources is committed to safe and responsible natural gas development utilizing industry best practices that meet or exceed regulatory requirements and we always strive to be a dependable and trusted neighbor,” Peterson said.

A map from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection shows at least 10 active wells in Buffalo Township.