Letter to the Editor: Manchester Township Planning Commission Failing to Protect Constituents
To the Manchester Township Board and residents,
Approximately one-quarter of the land in Manchester Township has been leased to allow oil drilling.
The Stewards of Western Washtenaw have asked the Manchester Township Board to pass a moratorium on oil and gas drilling to allow time to enact ordinances to mitigate pollution. A moratorium would give a message to oil companies that we are not going to let our peaceful, beautiful town be overrun by industrialization, noise and pollution.
On June 4, 2015, the Manchester Township Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the Manchester Township Board vote “no” on an oil and gas drilling moratorium. The Township Board will vote on this issue at the regular Township Board meeting on July 14, 2015 at 7:30 at the Township offices at 275 S. Macomb.
The Planning Commission appears to object to a moratorium on the basis that it would be costly to enact and, if challenged, would not stand up in court. They do not want to put the Township at risk of a lawsuit.
However, According to Laura Robinson, President of Citizens for Oil-Free Backyards (COFBY), moratoriums are legal, binding stances which are legally enforceable. Several surrounding communities have passed moratoriums on oil and gas drilling, including the townships of Scio, Sharon, and the city of Dexter. Washtenaw County and Pittsfield Township have passed resolutions expressing concern about oil and gas drilling, though these are non-binding. Scio Township’s moratorium recently expired, so it now has a resolution.
Manchester Township uses the same planning firm that Scio Township uses, Carlisle/Wortman, and the firm could likely plug in the name “Manchester Township” where “Scio Township” was used. Therefore, preparation documents should not be that costly. Per a Carlisle/Wortman report, there are a number of “ancillary activities and uses that may be regulated by Townships.”
It is the duty of the Planning Commission and Township Board to protect the quality of life in Manchester Township. Why is the Planning Commission doing nothing, instead of doing something? Why isn’t the Planning Commission working with Carlisle/Wortman to determine what we can do to preserve our quality of life? We presume the Board and Commission would say they have done something by hearing presentations by Citizens for Oil-Free Backyards (COFBY), and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).
Responses we’ve heard from the Township are that the MDEQ already has regulations in place, and roads are under the purview of the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Washtenaw County Road Commission. Therefore, it does not make sense to enact more ordinances.
However, Manchester’s Planning Commission is currently creating ordinances regarding solar and wind energy structures, but is making no ordinances regarding future oil and gas drilling structures and activities. Another response we’ve heard is that landowners should be able to use their land the way they want to. Why isn’t Manchester Township joining the green energy movement and encouraging residents to use their land for clean energy?
The MDEQ gave a presentation to the Board which promoted oil and gas drilling. The MDEQ is funded by oil and gas permits, which are almost never denied, even when there is public outcry. To deny permits would deny the MDEQ’s revenue. Oil and gas drilling companies claim they boost local economies; however, most of their job positions are filled by people from outside the community. There are a few landowners who receive substantial income from oil and gas drilling, but most do not. Therefore, economic benefits are limited to a few, while the majority reaps the effects of pollution.
The MDEQ representative admitted they cannot control the smell of hydrocarbons. There are a number of oil wells in Saline Township, and if you drive down Michigan Avenue, you can smell oil with the car windows closed. If you smell oil, you are breathing in toxins, which are circulating throughout your body. Why is the Planning Commission more worried about a lawsuit than the health and quality of life of its constituents?
The State of Michigan only requires oil and gas wells to carry between $10,000 and $25,000 of insurance. The cost of an accident or spill is estimated between $50,000 and $250,000. Even the MDEQ representative stated that insurance requirements for oil and gas wells “are on the low side.” In case of an accident, Manchester Township would be stuck with costs.
The MDEQ representative gave a very polished technical presentation and emphasized what it is doing for groundwater safety. What he failed to present is the fact that there are over 700 contamination sites in Michigan from oil and gas drilling, and almost none of these has been cleaned up, some for decades. COFBY reported the 700 contamination sites in its position paper last year and since has discovered additional contamination sites. The MDEQ does not make this information easily available, so most of us in Manchester Township would not know if a site became contaminated.
The MDEQ representative also stated that the casings surrounding the oil and gas wells are designed to prevent leaks, and said he expected them to last “forever.” He neglected to mention that seven percent of these casings fail at inception and fifty percent fail after 20 years. This means there will be leaks. He also didn’t mention, until questioned, that each inspector is responsible for a thousand wells, and inspectors are not required to be on site during the entire drilling process. Anyone who has worked with contractors knows they often cut corners.
We applaud the Planning Commission and the Board for their concern and responsibility regarding Township funds. However, why are they seemingly more concerned about the costs of an unlikely lawsuit than the costs of clean-up, fire safety, and the health and quality of life for Manchester Township residents? What about the decrease in Township revenue when property values decrease? Studies show property values go down in areas where there is oil and gas drilling.
Oil and gas drilling will pollute the air in Manchester Township. Oil and gas drilling will bring loud industrial truck traffic rumbling through town. Most of us live in this rural area because we do not like the noise, smells and chaos of cities.
The Stewards of Western Washtenaw laud our neighbor, Sharon Township, for its forward thinking and proactive response to the changes in our community. We strongly encourage Manchester Township to follow suit. Please contact the Township Board if you are concerned about this issue.
Facts are available on the COFBY website. Careful research was done through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to obtain data. Currently the oil and gas drilling lobbies are pushing for exemption from the FOIA in response to public outcry about an aging oil pipeline that runs under the Mackinac Bridge. This pipeline is run by Enbridge, the company responsible for the Kalamazoo River catastrophic oil spill, the costliest internal spill in the history of the U.S.
Sincerely, The Stewards of Western Washtenaw
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