NORTH BEND - A hearing on Anadarko Petroleum Corp.'s withdrawal of hundreds of thousands of gallons of water daily from the Susquehanna River is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Chapman Township Muncipal Building.
Clinton County President Judge J. Michael Williamson earlier this month overturned the Chapman Township Zoning Hearing Board's denial of a zoning change to allow the water withdrawal, remanding the matter back to the board for this special hearing.
The hearing board in May denied Anadarko's request for a special exception to construct and operate a facility on part of 2.7 acres near Gold Star Mothers Bridge to withdraw up to 720,000 gallons of water daily, citing safety and travel concerns.
Williamson said that decision was "arbitrary, capricious (and)... an abuse of discretion and error by law," and returned the matter to the hearing board, instructing the group to "convene and approve said application ... with the attached conditions, as well as any reasonable conditions deemed appropriate by the hearings."
The special conditions imposed by the judge include:
n No vehicles associated with the site shall be parked along Route 120 or by the state Fish and Boat Commission access road from Route 120 to the river.
n The intake pipe shall be marked and flagged at least 50 feet in all directions with appropriate warning signs posted.
n Anadarko remains subject to Susquehanna River Basin Commission regulations and low-water pumping restrictions governing its water-withdrawal permit.
n Anadarko will work with the township to request PennDOT install a traffic control device or sign to alert oncoming traffic at the site entrance to slow-moving trucks.
n No hauling of water will be scheduled or performed during the Hyner Mountain Challenge, the first weekend of fishing season, the three-day bear season and for a five-day period commencing the Monday after Thanksgiving Day of each year.
n The perimeter of the facility shall be fenced to a high of six feet with a gate regulating access.
n No more than seven vehicles capable of storing or hauling water shall be on the site at any one time.
Zoning Hearing Board Solicitor Stephen Smith said testimony will be taken at the hearing regarding any conditions other than those attached to the opinion.
The legal ad states the board will take "limited testimony only regarding conditions to be imposed, since the court has already ruled the board must grant the special exception."
Comments accepted will be limited to five minutes.
