Protesters: Solobay Sold us Out

Protesters clutching umbrellas and signs chanted "Solobay sold us out!" outside the senator's Canonsburg office Thursday morning—protesting his "yes" vote on recent Marcellus Shale legislation.

Cecil Supervisor Andy Schrader said that he and other local municipal officials had met for hours with Sen. Tim Solobay, D-Canonsburg, prior to the vote, and said none of the issues mentioned by the group were addressed.

He said he was particularly concerned with the way H.B. 1950 strips away zoning control from the local level, and pointed to setbacks set forth in the legislation that calls for wells not to be drilled within 1,000 feet of "any exisiting water well, surface water intake, reservoir or other water supply exraction point without the written consent of the water purveyor."

Then he pointed to a caveat in the next paragraph: "If consent is not obtained and the distance restriction would deprive the owner of the oil and gas rights of the right to produce and share in the oil or gas underlying the surface tract, the well operator shall be granted a variance."

"Shall be granted, not could be granted," Schrader said.

Schrader added that he was also concerned that no protections from frac ponds were written into the bill—and said that while permitting Marcellus Shale drilling in an industrial zone may seem reasonable on paper, in Cecil there is an elementary school near such an area.

And he said for these reasons and more, Solobay should "be ashamed of himself" for voting for the bill.

"This was Tim Solobay's chance to be counted. It was his shining moment," Schrader said. "He stood with the gas industry."

Solobay was one of three state senators targeted Thursday by the groups, which included Clean Water Action, PennEnvironment, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, the Sierra Club and Conservation Voters of PA.

Similar protests, organizers said, were planned outside the offices of state Sen. Ted Erickson, a Republican from Drexel Hill, and Sen. Charles McIlhinney, a Republican from Doylestown.

"Sadly, this is just one more case of powerful interests dominating the political process," said Erika Staaf of PennEnvironment. "For this reason, we believe it is imperative that Pennsylvanians know which legislators voted against the public's interest and for this oil and gas industry-approved bill. That's why we are out here today."

Myron Arnowitt, state director for Clean Water Action also lamented the loss of local zoning control.

"The loss of local zoning control is already creating problems that (these) senators are responsible for. We just learned about another town that cannot protect its public water supply from nearby gas drilling because there is no longer any local control," he said. "Drillers are already challenging local ordinances, demanding that they can drill in areas where towns formerly prevented them. It's outrageous that these senators listened to the industry and ignored tens of thousands or residents who urged the state Legislature to vote down this bill."

Organizers also asked that state officials begin drafting amendments to HB 1950 to add more protections for local residents.

A member of Solobay's office stopped down in front of the Pike Street office where protesters where assembled to address them, and to accept any information on the senator's behalf.

She was jeered by some of those there, while others again began chanting, "Solobay sold us out!"

Solobay said Wednesday that he would be in Harrisburg for meetings related to Gov. Tom Corbett's budget proposal.