Letter to the editor: Oil and gas changes in Monroeville

The Monroeville Council is considering an update to its comprehensive zoning ordinance that looks like changes in land use are going to make it worse for environmental justice communities near the landfill. Harms to air and water are sure to follow as a result of allowing fracking as a conditional use in our landfill zone as well as conservancy zones (green space, parks).

The new ordinance would allow fracking closer to our homes, our schools and our parks where our families gather and children play, as well as closer to the water sources we all depend on by changing the location where unconventional oil and gas well operations occur.

It is more important than ever for the public to engage with municipal council about the draft before them, and the health and safety of Monroeville citizens depends upon that. We should review this legislation before the April council meetings, beginning April 4, and that means to be prepared to testify as to why Monroeville must relegate oil and gas operations only to industrial zones and not the landfill or conservancy zones.

The municipality has placed copies of this ordinance, map and use table for public review at the Monroeville Public Library and Monroeville’s municipal building as well as the electronic version online at monroeville.pa.us.

Lois Drumheller

Monroeville