Crescent Residents Receive Notice of Potential Marcellus Shale Drilling

Crescent and Moon residents in recent weeks received letters from the Cresswell Heights Joint Authority notifying them that Marcellus shale drilling might soon take place on the grounds of the closed Phillips Power Plant.

Authority manager Dan Losco said property owners of the defunct power plant, at 4113 Jordan Street in South Heights, have expressed interest in natural gas drilling at the property.

"It's preliminary, but we have received notification that the property owner would like to drill," Losco said.

The letter was mailed to the authority's 15,000 customers in Crescent, South Heights, Hopewell and portions of Moon Township.

"The purpose of this letter is to notify you of this possible drilling and to advise you that under the current law [the Cresswell Heights Joint Authority] has no authority to prevent the drilling from taking place," according to the letter.

The authority operates underground water wells near the power plant. Beaver County property records show Duquesne Light as the owner of the Jordan Street property. Losco said a Pennsylvania resident named Bryan Gentry owns a portion of the property, which is being demolished.

Duquesne Light could not be reached for comment.

According to the letter: "Questions are likely to be raised as to the possible effect this could have on the water wells the authority owns close to the old power plant and from which our drinking water is drawn and supplied to our approximately 15,000 customers."

Have you received the letter? What are your thoughts about gas drilling on the grounds of the former power plant? Tell us in the comments.