Oil and Gas at Your Door? (2005 Edition) - Earthworks
Oil and Gas at Your Door? (2005 Edition) - Earthworks
Oil and Gas at Your Door? (2005 Edition) - Earthworks
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L<strong>and</strong>owner Stories<br />
veget<strong>at</strong>ion. Fortun<strong>at</strong>ely, a new company took over oper<strong>at</strong>ion of our well <strong>and</strong> we have<br />
improved hopes of reaching our goals.<br />
The San Juan Citizens Alliance has a folder on the people we contacted <strong>and</strong> some of their<br />
brochures. I also would be happy to share any inform<strong>at</strong>ion I have. You can contact me <strong>at</strong> (970)<br />
884-2163.<br />
14. A FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT: SUPPORT FOR BILL COMES FROM EXPERIENCE<br />
A LETTER FROM PLEASANTON TOWNSHIP<br />
By Gerard Grabowski , Michigan L<strong>and</strong> Use Institute, Gre<strong>at</strong> Lakes Bulletin News Service, December<br />
1997<br />
One of the main reasons our township has been instrumental in Michigan Energy Reform<br />
Coalition (MERC) is because the issues surrounding oil <strong>and</strong> gas development are too big to confront<br />
alone. MERC shares our goal -- to cre<strong>at</strong>e a cooper<strong>at</strong>ive partnership with the oil <strong>and</strong> gas<br />
industry th<strong>at</strong> will insure reasonable industrial development in our neighborhoods.<br />
The following article by Mr. Grabowski, a member of the Pleasanton Township Board, is excerpted<br />
from a st<strong>at</strong>ement he made <strong>at</strong> a public meeting in Manistee County on proposed oil <strong>and</strong> gas<br />
legisl<strong>at</strong>ion.<br />
In 1994, Pleasanton Township adopted an Industrial Facilities ordinance affecting the oil <strong>and</strong><br />
gas industry. The ordinance requires companies to obtain special use permits for processing<br />
plants, <strong>and</strong> to minimize the noise from their compressors. It also requires companies to provide<br />
their development plans to neighboring residents <strong>and</strong> township officials.<br />
I am happy to report th<strong>at</strong> we have gotten full compliance from the oil <strong>and</strong> gas companies th<strong>at</strong><br />
have undertaken Antrim n<strong>at</strong>ural gas projects in Pleasanton. They have told the township th<strong>at</strong><br />
they want to work with us, <strong>and</strong> pledged th<strong>at</strong> being a good neighbor is very important to them.<br />
These companies are complying with our ordinance because it is reasonable, similar to the minimal<br />
requirements imposed on other industries, <strong>and</strong> in no way prohibits them from doing business<br />
here. We welcome this cooper<strong>at</strong>ion, <strong>and</strong> are pleased th<strong>at</strong> we have a working rel<strong>at</strong>ionship<br />
with the industry.<br />
It hasn’t always been this way. One company th<strong>at</strong> now has a project up <strong>and</strong> running in our township<br />
was absolutely furious th<strong>at</strong> we were going to require anything <strong>at</strong> all from them.<br />
This company had plans for over 40 wells <strong>and</strong> three compressor st<strong>at</strong>ions. They sent letters to<br />
leaseholders, warning th<strong>at</strong> the Industrial Facilities ordinance was going to make doing business<br />
impossible in Pleasanton Township, <strong>and</strong> th<strong>at</strong> local officials were robbing them of their priv<strong>at</strong>e<br />
property rights. The letters further warned th<strong>at</strong> we had a hidden agenda, which was to stop oil<br />
<strong>and</strong> gas development altogether.<br />
Well, the reality of course is much different, <strong>and</strong> residents packed our township hall to implore<br />
us to make sure our ordinance was obeyed fully. They overwhelmingly supported the defense<br />
of our ordinance against <strong>at</strong>tacks from the Geological Survey Division, (the st<strong>at</strong>e agency th<strong>at</strong> promotes<br />
as well as regul<strong>at</strong>es the development), <strong>and</strong> the oil <strong>and</strong> gas industry.<br />
Now -- Pleasanton could never have gotten this far without establishing a network of other<br />
Michigan townships, communities, <strong>and</strong> organiz<strong>at</strong>ions th<strong>at</strong> are dealing with oil <strong>and</strong> gas devel-<br />
IV-22
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