BY STACI WILSON

A Williams compressor station in Harford Twp. received its final approval last week from the Susquehanna County Planning Commission, with two members sounding “no” votes.

The compressor station approval had been tabled at the December meeting; and came before the board once again Tuesday (Jan. 27), with planning commission members Rick Franks and Katherine Shelly voting against the approval.

The meeting was expected the draw a large crowd and the venue was changed from the county office building lower level conference room to the large courtroom in the Courthouse.

Although the change of location was posted on the door of the county office building, Craig Stevens told the county commissioners Wednesday that he believed the meeting was “null and void” because the change of venue was not announced.

Stevens also said he planned to challenge the planning commission’s ruling, stating that Harford’s local noise ordinance should supercede the county Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.

“You can’t ignore Harford’s rule,” Stevens said. “You can’t override Harford’s rule if there’s no way to test it,” he added, advocating for the county to purchase its own noise meter.

“We’re done at number 40,” Stevens said, referring the number of compressor stations located in the county.

Stevens told the county commissioners he planned to bring a lawsuit against the county, the planning commission and Williams.

Harford Twp. does not have its own SALDO but has adopted the county ordinance, thereby making subdivision and land development plans in the township subject to the county ordinance, according to Planning Director Robert Templeton.

The county SALDO states audible noise from a natural gas compressor station shall not exceed 50 dBA, measured at the exterior of any occupied building on a non-participating landowner’s property.

A professional engineer is required to certify the level is in compliance prior to receiving planning commission approval.

Eight municipalities in the county have their own SALDOs: Ararat, Clifford, Silver Lake, Thompson Twp., Forest City, Liberty Twp., Montrose and Susquehanna. Plans, including those for natural gas compressor stations, would not come before the county’s planning commission for approval; only six municipalities have zoning ordinances in place to further regulate land development: Forest City, Hop Bottom, Herrick, Montrose, New Milford, Susquehanna.

At the commissioners’ meeting, anti-drilling activist Vera Scroggins said residents living near the compressor station were complaining of the noise.

She also said that neighboring Bradford County is home to 25 compressor stations; while Susquehanna County now has 40. “Why do we have more?” she asked. “The planning commission continues to approve one after another. You need to do something as we are being taken over by the industry.”

Scroggins also registered an objection to the county requirement to submit a right-to-know request for planning commission records. “This could delay observance up to a month,” she said, claiming the process interfered with government transparency. “Why do you insist on a right to know (request)?”

Generally, the county would have five business days to respond to a request in writing with either production of the requested document; denial of the request, citing the legal basis for the denial or partial denial; or to invoke a 30-day extension for certain reasons.