Dimock announces permit for Somerset

BY PAT FARNELLI

Dimock Township Supervisors gave their approval Monday night to a hydrofracturing solution storage and mixing facility off 29 to by Somerset Regional Water Resources.

Someret’s facility will prepare hydrofracking solution for the gas well industry and will provide storage for solutions, chemicals and produced water awaiting shipping and/or treatment.

The property is owned by Joseph and Nicole Vibbard, and was formerly a veal farm.

A letter was sent to Pennsylvania American Water Company last month in response to a request for concurrance with their proposed project to pipe water from Montrose to Dimock residents who have had their water wells affected by methane gas.

The project includes 12.5 miles of new 12 inch and 6 inch water main pipes.

Township Secretary Paul Jennings informed those in attendance at a previous meeting that the township was sent a letter of proposal with no particulars other then the general route and line size.

He also stated that to his knowledge, the township has no ordinance or regulations prohibiting the construction.

Ed Bunnell made a motion for concurrence, and Gerald Ellis seconded. A letter was sent to the water company stating the township’s approval to proceed.

The Dimock to Nicholson Road name has been officially changed to SR 3023, after residents complained that the new 911 road name was too long.

In other business, the township adopted a resolution naming Centax as the new Act 32 earned income tax collector for the township, and adopted a resolution to keep Berkheimer as the EIT collector for 2011, not switching to Centax until 2012.

Resident Don Simpson stated he was concerned over the condition of Gobblers Knob T392, a township road. He told the supervisors at the October meeting that it has ruts and potholes from water problems, and the supervisors said they would look at the road to see what repairs were needed.

Simpson expressed his frustration over the deterioration of the road, and said that water was running down the ruts and washing the road out, and that he was not satisfied with the township’s maintenance of the road.

“I want the township to vacate it, and I’ll fix it myself,” Simpson said.

Supervisor George Baker said that the supervisors have set up to start road repair there before, only to be stopped by another resident.

Baker said that if Simpson was the only resident on that part of the road, he would not have a problem with the township turning over responsibility for the road, but that all residents would have to sign off in order for the road to no longer be a township road.

There is a considerable amount of paperwork involved as well, Baker said.