Council approves settlement relating to seismic testing

Seismictesting on Monroeville roads will be allowed within 50 feet of a structure, instead of 100 feet as the municipality had wanted, undera settlement approved by Monroevillecouncil.

The settlement agreement, which council voted unanimously Tuesday to ratify, was met with criticismby some.

“Everybody in Monroeville is vulnerable to the seismic testing” under the settlement, resident Adrienne Weiss told council Tuesday. She said the municipality was “selling out” the residents of Monroeville for not fighting the court case against Geokenetics, a Texas-basedcompany.

“The bottom line was we have to follow the law,” Mayor Greg Erosenko said.

Seismic testing is typically conducted using trucks that pound the ground with heavy steel plates, causing vibrations that allow sensors to chart underground rock formations, such as the Marcellus Shale. Sometimes explosive charges are set below ground.

Geokinetics in June sought to conduct seismic testing on Monroeville roads. Council denied the request in September, and in October, it tightened regulations on seismic testing. In that same month, Geokinetics filed suit against the municipality challenging those regulations.

Monroeville’s solicitor Robert Wratcher said that if the litigation were to continue, the municipality likely would have been given zero setbacks.

“They came in before the ordinance was passed,” Mr. Wratcher said of Geokinetics’ request for a permit.

Councilman Ron Harvey also noted that during a pretrial conference, it seemed as though the municipality would lose its case because Geokinetics had filed its request before Monroeville had an ordinance in place.

In addition to the 50foot setbacks, Geokinetics does not have to provide pre- and post-testing inspections on properties owned by the municipality.

“Seismic testing is a permitted use in Pennsylvania,” Councilman and Mayor-elect Nick Gresock said. “But we can certainly regulateit.”