Kidder Township Board of Supervisors voted Thursday night to advertise for public input and inspection an ordinance to establish specific standards for "Oil and Gas" facilities who request to operate within the township perimeter.

Supervisors voted to advertise Ordinance 147 AN Ordinance amending Chapter 180 regarding the Zoning Code of the Township of Kidder "BY ESTABLISHING SPECIFIC STANDARDS FOR OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT FACILITIES."Ordinance 147 gives definition to words and terminology specific to buildings and structures used in the processing of Oil and Gas Industries. Some other items include, "lot size requirements must be minimum 12.5 acres".It states that "No portion of any drilling device, equipment or facility of any kind including storage shall be closer than 1,000 feet to an adjacent property line." Also, lighting is an integral part of drilling, it noted. Minimizing glare on public roads is important, it stated, and 300 feet of the drill site is measured as the way to do that. "Drilling will be limited to the ground surface area designated by the applicant as part of their application." Any other use requires additional conditions, it states. Also, Ordinance 147 under review concerned with aesthetics addresses the colors of the oil and gas facilities making earth tones the favored choice to blend in with the natural surroundings of the area. Kidder Township also states in this Ordanance that it may impose landscaping or fencing to buffer the site from adjacent properties.Last month Supervisors adopted Ordinance 148 specific to "Oil and Gas Facilities and Development and ENFORCEMENT" it maintained consistency and compliance with all Kidder Township Zoning laws and Subdivision and Land Development Ordinances, it is the instrument to enforce what essentially will be enacted after Ordinance 147 is passed by Township Supervisors after advertisement and public input at a public hearing soon to be announced, according to Adopted Ordinance 148 which establishes safety protocol, dust particle restrictions ,vibration control, odors, Pa. DEP Post Drilling Requirements, emergency preparedness, chain of command, Township responsiveness, permit compliance and accountability of nitrates, petroleum, pH, dissolved solids (tds), a WELL COMPLIANT RESOLUTION PROGRAM, and so forth. A copy of that Adopted Ordinance 148 from last month can be requested at Kidder Township Building in addition to public inspection of the recently proposed Ordinance 147 SPECIFIC STANDARDS FOR OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT FACILITIES.Also at the meeting, Supervisors voted unanimously with all members in attendance to release $100,000.00 certificate of deposit in escrow for completion of the Lake Harmony Firehouse.Fire Chief Ralph Lennon seemed pleased at the almost completion of the project and for hosting the upcoming 2011 Pa. Firemans Convention. He told the Supervisors, that since they were hosting this years 20011 convention, the banquet would not be held but next month the Fireman of the year would be announced.Supervisors made Four new appointments to the Sanitary Sewer Advisory Committee. Those new appointments are the following members including those from Lake Harmony Association, Lake Harmony Estates, Split Rock Lodge Resor:Lou Del Rosso, Larry Gould, Ralph Lennon, Frank Lichtma,The Environmental Advisory Council sponsored a forum entitled Marcellus Shale 101 on April 9 in the Kidder Chambers and Chairman Supervisor Larry Polansky told members he was disappointed more members were not there. He believed the speaker to be informative. He said that there were no drills in this area. Someone in the audience brought up about a report earlier that day about 7 homes being evacuated and a gas blow out above Scranton.Bids were opened for the administration of Uniform and Non Uniform Pension Plans, some discussion ensued a little confusingly, but afterwards decided to discuss and review the bids at a later time. No Supervisors opposed.Kidder Township is advertising to adopt an ordinance authorizing it to participate in the existing joint Board of Appeals Under the Pa. Code pursuant to the UCC. Under Pa. Code Board of Appeals, a municipality which has adopted an ordinance for the administration and enforcement of the UCC can appoint members to serve and hear appeals under section 501 of the act.