Two injection wells proposed for Vienna Township


July 21, 2013 at 12:04a.m.

By Ed Runyan

runyan@vindy.com

VIENNA

Township trustee Phil Pegg is raising concerns about the impact a brine injection well associated with gas and oil drilling at state Route 82 and Sodom Hutchings Road would have on vehicle traffic.

Pegg attended a meeting of the Western Reserve Port Authority to point out that a legal notice published this week indicates that Kleese Development Associates of Warren is applying for an injection well there as well as one near the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.

Pegg says the one at Sodom-Hutchings Road would most likely increase truck traffic coming north on Sodom-Hutchings Road at Route 82, and that could lead to accidents at the intersection.

Pegg said turning lanes on Route 82 similar to those at the Route 82-Howland-Wilson intersection would help, but the Ohio Department of Transportation says upgrades of that type are unlikely soon.

Pegg said Vienna trustees are “neutral” on injection wells “except where safety is concerned.”

The Port Authority, which runs the airport, discussed the injection well being proposed for land on state Route 193 near the airport terminal in executive session (in private) Wednesday.

Scott Lynn, chairman of the port board, said the board hasn’t decided whether to oppose the proposed well near the airport because it just started to learn about it.

Atty. Dan Keating, legal counsel for the board, said the discussion was allowed under the Ohio Open Meetings Act under the category of imminent or pending court action because legal action could result at some point.

The legal notices say “The proposed well[s] will inject into the Mount Simon Formation at a depth of 8,000-8,900 feet. The average injection is estimated to be 2,500 barrels per day. The maximum injection pressure is estimated to be 1845 pounds per square inch.

Comments on the proposed wells should be sent to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management, 2045 Morse Road, Building F-2, Columbus, OH 43229-6693 by Aug. 4.