Type of Protective Zoning: Supplemental Environmental Analysis and Monitoring

Localities can require that land use permit applicants conduct additional information gathering - beyond what may be required by the Municipalities Planning Code or Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection - and prepare reports before they even consider an application.

Some examples of additional reports would include pre-drilling tests of water, air, and soil quality.

This pre-analysis can help:

• inform the municipality’s decision to grant or deny an application
• serve as baseline data so that the locality can identify the cause of possible contamination or degradation caused by the fracking activity.

Another commonly requested analysis is an Environmental Impact Analysis which identifies natural resources near the proposed site and addresses what will be done to protect them.  

Places that require supplemental environmental analysis and monitoring:

• Air Quality Study
  • Churchill Borough
  • Penn Township*
  • Bell Acres

• Groundwater, private well water, or general hydrologic testing or analysis
  • Churchill Borough
  • South Strabane
  • Peters Twp
  • Crescent Twp
  • Forest Hills
  • Penn Township*
  • Bell Acres
  • Franklin Park Borough 

   Also see DRN's Sample Water Well Quantity Testing Ordinance

• Environmental Impact Analysis
  • Churchill Borough
  • Crescent Twp
  • Richland Twp
  • Penn Township*
  • Bell Acres
  • Oakmont Borough

• Map of all pre-existing gas infrastructure
  • Richland Twp

• Soil Testing
  • Churchill Borough
  • Peters Twp
  • Penn Township*

• Geological Study
  • Penn Township Injection Well Ordinance*
  • Bedminster

*Version of Penn Township Injection Well Ordinance is labelled as “draft” but it is actually the final-version language.