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Columbiana council mulls issue of Marcellus Shale
COLUMBIANA
City residents want to know if Columbiana would be affected by the rush of drillers who want to do deep mining in the Marcellus Shale in Columbiana County.
The shale is a sector of marine sedimentary rock in eastern North America. City Manager Keith Chamberlin said during Tuesday night’s city council meeting that the city owns 200 to 300 acres that could be used for drilling.
The city has water wells strategically placed around town, he said, adding, “The problem you have is that we can’t control what others do.”
Chamberlin said the city will do what it can to protect its property.
“We have safeguards,” Chamberlin said, “but the laws were not written in our favor.”
The city had a working committee created in 2007 to look at the mining situation.
“I don’t know if we have a committee,” he said.
He said he would look into the situation.
Council gave a final reading to an ordinance that would create a fire-levy fund that voters had approved.
Chamberlin said the city is considering buying a ladder truck for the fire department. Cost is estimated at $600,000.
With old and high buildings as well as many two-story homes, Chamberlin said, the ladder truck is needed. He said it would be better to have the ladder truck than a firefighter on the roof of a burning building.
In other action, council took a final vote to approve an ordinance that would require city workers to start paying 10 percent of their health-care costs.