Murrysville planning commissioners will consider a recommendation for the second Olympus Energy fracking well in the municipality.
Canonsburg-based Olympus is seeking to build the Hermes unconventional gas drilling well on a 147-acre property just southwest of the Rolling Fields Golf Club, on the 5000 block of Logan Ferry Road.
The land is zoned rural-residential and is in the municipality’s oil and gas overlay district. Part of the property extends into Allegheny County and neighboring Plum. With the entirety of the proposed well pad within Murrysville, officials from both towns agreed Murrysville’s zoning code would take precedence.
Murrysville councilman and planning commission liaison Carl Stepanovich said the timeline for the well, if approved, calls for 120 days of construction, followed by 240 days of drilling and 240 days for completion.
“They are following along the lines of the Titan well,” Stepanovich said. “The ambient sound measurements are lower than what was found at the Titan pad.”
A measurement taken by Acoustic Control for Olympus recorded an ambient sound level of just over 48.5 decibels, using a diesel generator as the noise source.
Stepanovich said planning commissioners worked on the details for truck traffic during the well’s various phases at their most recent meeting. Two routes would bring trucks in from routes 380 and 286.
“They’re keen on a requirement for no left turns, due to potential difficulty making those turns onto Route 380 and some of the other nearby roads,” Stepanovich said.
The planning commission will vote on whether to recommend approval of the application at a future meeting. That recommendation will be forwarded to Murrysville council.
Solicitor retiring
Murrysville officials will put out a request-for-proposals to retain a new solicitor, with the announcement longtime municipal attorney George Kotjarapoglus plans to retire after 46 years in the position.
“It’s been 46 very good years, and I’m still enjoying myself in law,” he said. “But this will lighten the load a little bit.”
Trail library
Rick Fisher, a member of the Westmoreland Heritage Trail board of directors, told council about plans to create a small, free library kiosk near the Roberts Trailhead on Route 22.
“It’s just a box on a post,” Fisher said. “People can bring books, and they can be taken and used for free.”
Council technically does not have jurisdiction over the trail but welcomed the idea.
Library board opening
Murrysville Community Library board member Theo van de Venne is retiring from his board seat, and the municipality is accepting applications for residents who are interested in joining.
The term runs through the end of December 2023. For more, call 724-327-2100.
