Gas drilling plan concerns board

The board is considering spending more than 700,000 to clean a lagoon of sludge.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
MINERAL RIDGE -- The Mahoning Valley Sanitary District board of directors wants assurances that drilling for natural gas on district property is environmentally safe.
Ohio Valley Energy Systems Corp. of Austintown wants to sink 16 gas wells on district property.
The MVSD operates Meander Reservoir that provides wholesale treated water to member cities of Youngstown, Niles and McDonald.
Charles Masters, an Ohio Valley representative, told the board Wednesday the company is willing to bring in the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to provide assistance before any drilling begins.
Board member Matthew Blair said the board is interested in well drilling for revenue and that it wants the ODNR's involvement.
Top priority
Tom Holloway, district engineer, said concerns of environmental impact is a "top priority" in such a project.
Holloway said safeguards must be in place to protect the reservoir from brine and oil, byproducts from drilling, and erosion from the well site.
Holloway said a large number of wells have been drilled around district property.
If the board is satisfied the wells won't negatively impact the environment, a contract will be worked out that includes revenue for the MVSD from a signing bonus, use of free gas from the wells and royalties, Holloway explained.
Jack Vaughn, a board member, asked Ohio Valley to provide the district with copies of current contracts it has with property owners where there are producing wells.
Also during the meeting, Holloway said the board should begin considering clearing one of its four sludge lagoons.
The sludge is produced in the treatment of water.
Holloway said that last lagoon was cleaned out in 2004 and 2005 at a cost of 735,000.
At that time, 65,000 cubic yards of material was removed from a lagoon. Each of the lagoons has seven acres of surface.
Holloway said the directors have decided not to operate its own sludge removal operation because it's too costly. He explained that buildings would have to be constructed and manpower added.
Also, Holloway reported that the filter improvement project was completed under budget.
The district spent 7 million to clean and upgrade 16 filters beginning in November 2004. The engineer's estimate at that time was 7.3 million, he noted.