Residents, First Responders Question Range Incident

Residents and first responders asked Cecil Township supervisors Monday night how they are supposed to know the difference between disaster and business as usual at drill sites when all they see are spewing flames.
 
“You guys have to tell me what to do. It's Sunday night, it's 8:30, you look out your window, you see flames and you see this red cloud that can't go anywhere because we're under an inversion,” Rose Churray, whose property neighbors the Range Resources drill site where flaring was taking place Sunday.

“You see police car and you see fire trucks. Who do you call? How do find out what is happening?” she asked.
 
According to Cecil Police Chief John Pushak, representatives from the Southpointe-based oil and gas drilling company had called 911 dispatchers to alert them that flaring would be taking place prior to the scheduled burn.

However, as it turns out, Zoning Officer Bruce Bosle informed supervisors that a malfunction caused more than just a flare to burn.
 
According to Cecil Township Volunteer Fire Company #3 Fire Chief Dennis Bertie, local fire departments were called out by Washington County 911 after neighbors reported seeing flames at Range's Troyer site.
 
But he said when first responders arrived on scene were told by officials at the site there had been no incident.
 
The following day, though, the account of what occurred had changed, Bosle told those in attendance.
 
“Our code enforcement officer received a voice mail message [Monday] morning from Jim Cannon from Range Resources explaining that there was an issue there at the Troyer site,” he said.
 
“Further investigation through the day found out there was a release valve that malfunctioned and consequently there was a release of vapors that ignited, but at the same time were expelled. Range indicated that at that point there was no danger to the site,” Bosle said.
 
According to him, Range representatives told township officials that residual flames from the incident were quelled with a fire extinguisher, and that no outside assistance had been needed.
 
While Range representatives expressed to township officials this particular incident didn't represent a threat to the community, residents maintain it has brought up issues Range Resources and the township need to address.
 
Churray said she would like to see one township employee dedicated to these drilling issues, and who would be able to disseminate information regarding activity at the drill sites. She added she wasn't happy with the emergency phone number given to her by Range Resources, which she said isn't answered by a live person.
 
Township Manager Don Gennuso said at the meeting that he contacted Cannon at Range Resources Monday morning asking for a flaring schedule only to be given a vague answer: that the schedule differs from site to site.

Cannon could not immediately be reached by email or cell phone on Tuesday afternoon.

According to Pushak, another glitch in the system occurred when there was a breakdown in proper notification of emergency responders in Cecil. He said Range honored its agreement to notify 911 about when flaring would occur.

Pushak said that the message was relayed to the Cecil Police Department, it  never made its way to the fire departments that provide coverage to the area.
 
Another question several people in attendance asked was whether the State Department of Environmental Protection needed by law to be notified about the incident .
 
“I think what we'll probably do is ask Range if they contacted DEP and if they haven't we will. If they have, we'll follow up with whoever they spoke to,” Solicitor John Smith said.
 
Township officials said they hoped issues such as these would be addressed in an  hosted by State Rep. Jesse White, D-Cecil, to discuss a
 
Supervisors Chairman Mike Debbis then reiterated that the board is reviewing the township's current drilling ordinance to see if additional conditions can be added to ensure more effective safety measures and efficient notification processes are established.

A Range Resources spokesman did not immediately return a voicemail left on his cell phone or an email address seeking comment.