Commonwealth Court Rules In Bradford Township Case by George Asimos, Esq
Posted by George on 11 May 2012 | Tagged as: General
The Commonwealth Court ruled on Wednesday that a compressor station that also strips butane and propane in preparation for delivery into the pipeline system is a permitted use in a zoning district that allows “oil and gas production” and “equipment necessary to drilling and pumping operations”. The compressor was located “adjacent to the actual pump” [Note that this was a shallow well, not Marcellus]. The Township had denied the producer approval because it contended the stripping activity was not part of oil and gas production and therefore not permitted in that zoning district. The producer, its counsel and witnesses apparently established a convincing record that the combined compressor/stripper was essential to the production of the gas and was not a distinct process that could be separated from the well. This is a pre-Act 13 case, but insofar as it is interpreting a zoning ordinance, it will still be useful. The case can be found at 2012 WL 1622495.
