West Penn Township residents have been assured that their concerns over water extraction haven’t fallen on deaf ears.

Christine Verdier, chief of staff for state Sen. David Argall, R-Schuylkill, attended the township’s board of supervisors meeting on Monday to address any questions residents had about water extraction.Verdier said the state Department of Environmental Protection will be sending a biologist out this spring to look at groundwater and surface water.“If you are seeing changes in your backyard, contact me,” Verdier said. Verdier can be reached at 570-773-0891.Verdier said she’s spoken with about a dozen residents who have expressed concerns to her about water extraction.“I know it’s frustrating for people of the township,” she said. “They’re (the township’s board of supervisors) doing everything they can with the resources available.”Verdier added, “We try to address each and every (concern).”Supervisor Tony Prudenti asked Verdier who is regulating the Fort Franklin site.Verdier said there is no permit in front of DEP because the operation hasn’t reached the average threshold of 100,000 gallons per day over a 30-day period.Prudenti then asked what’s to stop everyone in attendance at the meeting from doing the same thing, to which Verdier responded there is nothing.“How do we as a board of supervisors respond to our citizens?” Prudenti asked.Prudenti then asked whether anyone who’s extracting water would then be grandfathered.Verdier said she wasn’t sure.Resident Dan Rockman said he’s been told the Fort Franklin site is operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.“Sooner or later, our wells are going to be affected,” Rockman said.Resident Gary Steigerwalt said he’s alarmed by the volume of water that’s leaving the township.“What’s going to happen when the water table goes down,” Steigerwalt said.Board Chairman Jim Dean announced that the lawsuit that was pending has been discontinued.Last month, supervisors said they were reviewing an appeal filed by a township resident asking supervisors to revoke a zoning permit issued two years ago for a water extraction operation.Resident Allison McArdle filed the appeal Feb. 28 asking supervisors to revoke the permit issued Jan. 13, 2015, to David Knoedler of Ringgold Acquisition Group II for property at One Fort Franklin Road.Prudenti reiterated his main concerns at that time that the township has to look at protecting residents’ wells, eliminating truck traffic, and saving roads.In February, Prudenti said he believes the time had come to update the municipality’s water extraction ordinance.More than 50 people attended a board meeting held in November at the West Penn Fire Company, pleading with the board to shut down water extraction because they believe the wells are breaking a township ordinance.