​S27A Krendale Well Pad Statement

The Krendale well pad is an accident waiting to happen.

Three years ago, Butler Township officials approved the Krendale well pad amid tremendous public outcry.  The pad is located on the Krendale golf course, adjacent to a densely populated residential neighborhood, 600 feet from the nearest residence, with busy shopping centers, nursing homes and an elementary school within the pad's one-mile evacuation zone.  The golf course itself is located in an R-2 Multi-Family Residential zone.

Three years later, nothing has happened at the Krendale well pad site.  In fact, the owner of the golf course is now being paid by Rex Energy for every year that the company doesn't drill, according to public records.  But all that could change in an instant.  

Over a year ago, a pipeline that would service the Krendale well pad was approved by PA DEP, even though the well pad itself had not been approved.  Then suddenly, in June of this year, DEP approved drilling and operating permits for all 11 wells on the Krendale pad.  Rex Energy now needs only to receive a permit from the Butler Township zoning office to begin construction of the Krendale well pad.  

​When that happens, Section 27 Alliance will commence legal action to appeal that permit and to challenge the ordinance that allows shale-gas drilling in residential neighborhoods.

Section 27 Alliance Butler County Butler Township (BCBT) was formed in 2014 by concerned Butler Township residents when they discovered that Butler Township had amended its shale-gas drilling ordinance to permit drilling in all township zoning districts, including residential neighborhoods.  The township, which made the amendment in Dec. 2012, has stated that it did so to be in compliance with Act 13 zoning, even though PA Commonwealth Court had issued an injunction in Aug. 2012 stating that municipalities did not need to make such changes.  The PA Supreme Court ruled against Act 13 zoning in Dec. 2013, stating that shale-gas drilling is a "heavy industrial use" incompatible with residential zoning.  Butler Township did not change its ordinance in the wake of that ruling, and thus was forced to approve the Krendale well pad in Sept. 2014.
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The members of Section 27 Alliance agree with the PA Supreme Court, that shale-gas drilling has no place in residential neighborhoods.  We also believe that, since the township's hands are tied because of their ordinance, the only way to keep the Krendale well pad from being built is through legal action.  Through the township's Right-to-Know policy, we are monitoring any permit activity related to the Krendale well pad.  We will spring into action as soon as the required permit has been issued.  We invite all concerned members of the community to be a part of this legal fight to keep our residential neighborhoods safe from industrial intrusions.  Section 27 Alliance BCBT is a 501c3 organization. Your tax deductible donations to our legal fund can be made to Section 27 Alliance BCBT and sent to P.O. Box 306, Lyndora PA 16045.

“Not My Neighborhood” ​
​Bat Signal

​From October 2nd-6th, our friends at Marcellus Outreach Butler conducted a public awareness campaign to bring the issue of residential fracking to the forefront in the Butler area. With the recent PA DEP approval of the Krendale well pad on the Krendale Golf Course in Butler Township, which is surrounded by dense residential and commercial development, MOB felt that the public needed to be reminded about the long-dormant project. So a campaign was devised using what MOB called the “bat signal,” a projector capable of shining an image onto a building.

Once darkness had fallen, an image of crossed-out fracking rig with the words “Not My Neighborhood” was projected onto sites all over the township and city, including the Butler Township Municipal Building sign, a barn on Route 68 near the Krendale site, a hillside on Route 356 next to Point Plaza, the courthouse, the Butler County Government Center, the Butler Eagle, the PNC Bank building on Main Street, the Penn Theater, and the Pullman building on Hansen Avenue.

​Several passers-by stopped to inquire about the “bat signal” and what it meant, and once informed, many expressed concern over the Krendale site. In addition to Krendale, another well pad was recently approved near the Knoch schools complex. The bat signal was projected onto the front of Knoch High School, expressing opposition to this treacherous location. More actions from MOB pertaining to this well site are in the works.
We appreciate your interest and support.

If you want to donate to this cause
  1. Make your check out to:  Section 27 Alliance - BCBT 
  2. and mail to:  Section 27 Alliance, P.O. Box 306, Lyndora, PA 16045

​Section 27 Alliance BCBT is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Any donations made to Section 27 Alliance to help us in our fight against residential-zone shale-gas drilling in Butler Township are tax-deductible.
Note received with a recent donation:
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"We sure do hope this effort is successful in stopping drilling in residential areas in Butler Township.  Hard to believe that government officials can condone something like this."​
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

​- Margaret Mead
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People Have the Power!

Section 27 Alliance     -     P.O. Box 306, Lyndora, PA 16045