Marilyn Hunt warns council of ill effects she believes can be attributed to the gas industry.

As expected, New Martinsville City Council passed the first reading of a measure to repeal an ordinance prohibiting natural gas exploration and gathering activities within city limits during a special council meeting Friday afternoon.

The vote came after 10 people spoke to council concerning the measure, many at this meeting in favor of the ban. That was a change from the regular council meeting just four days earlier when all but one of the 19 speakers spoke against the ban.

The ordinance in question that was enacted during council’s regular July meeting reads, “The exploration, extraction, production, development, mining, leasing, and/or drilling for oil, gas, or other hydrocarbon substances or the conduction of any other operations including fracturing or re-fracturing wells, installation and maintenance of any production equipment and appurtenant structures or machinery proposed or intended to be used for or in connection with the production of oil and gas on any private or public property within the corporate limits is strictly prohibited and shall constitute a public nuisance.”

It appears to have been targeted at protecting the city’s water wells.

One of the most forceful speakers against natural gas drilling was Marilyn Hunt, a resident of Macedonia Ridge where a lot of natural gas activity is taking place. She has been an opponent to the industry’s practices at other meetings in the county.

Sandy Hunt says she is not in favor of a complete ban on gas activity.

She said her husband, who spoke later in the meeting, is a scientist who has tested water from Pittsburgh to Wetzel County. “Everywhere they tested they found contamination,” she said. “It wasn’t an anomaly; it was how they do business.”

She further said children in Texas and Oklahoma where similar gas drilling is taking place are dying. “The doctors say ‘Tumors!'” she said who said she was warning them and won’t come back to tell council again. Hunt said if council does not stand up to the gas companies, then they are telling area children that they don’t care about them.

Robert Hunt, who has worked in analytical labs for Bayer Corp. for 32 years, said wells were tested in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, as a favor to him. “What we did find in there was quite disturbing,” he said. Acrylonitrile, a Class 2B carcinogen, was found at 43 parts per million in their well and the substance was found in other area wells.

“We don’t know what it’s coming from,” he noted. “It’s real and you can’t ignore it.”

Someone in the audience asked if his tests included any baseline tests. They did not, he said. However, he said trend studies showed the contaminative substances to go up and down with gas industry activity in the area.

Robert Hunt

Bonnie Hall, also a resident of the Silver Hill area that has been experiencing high levels of gas exploration and production, told council she now has a contaminated water well. She decided to test her well only after gas activity began because her horses would drink the water.

Her water tests show nitrate levels 100 times higher than the allowable level. Also, benzene was present at levels 35 times higher than the standard. The Department of Environmental Protection said the contamination came from fluids from her neighbor’s old automobiles. “The DEP never bothered to test the soil under my neighbor’s cars,” claimed Hall.

While she is not a resident of New Martinsville, she is concerned for the city’s water wells because that is now where she gets her water. “If they destroy this water, I won’t have a water supply,” she said.

Sandy Hunt said she is not for an all-out ban of gas activity, but some sort of regulation. In response to the the previous speakers, she said that while she lives in New Martinsville, she has a farm out Doolin Road. It doesn’t have a good well; it never has. “There are people here who have hauled water for 20-30 years,” said Sandy. Without a baseline test, there is no way to prove the quality of the wells prior to the recent gas boom.

As for the claims of cancer, she said, “My family has fought with cancer for 50 years all over this country, not just here.”

Bonnie Hall

Minerva Evans, who lives on state Route 89 but not near any current gas drilling or fracturing, said she was sure to get a baseline test of her well now so if there are any problems in the future, then it is documented. It cost her about $300 to have the testing done and certified, but she believes it is a worthy investment.

After hearing the public’s comments, some council members made their feelings on the subject known. Councilman Steve Pallisco said the city cannot pass up something like this gas industry that is so important to the economics and life of the community.

Citing the three major chemical plants in the area, Pallisco said, “They’ve done great things for our area. Any industry that you have, there is danger. . . not even necessarily an industry. This industry has got to be as safe as any other industry we have.” He said he does not believe for a minute that the gas companies intend to do harm.

Councilman Joel Potts III said he has spoken with some local men whose knowledge he respects and who have nothing to gain from the industry. They say it is almost impossible for the water to get contaminated.

“It’s a tough decision,” said Councilman Chris Bachman. “We made an ordinance and it happened relatively quickly. Since Monday I’ve given it a lot of thought. Council does have the city’s best interest in mind.”

An employee of Litman Excavating who relocated his family to a rural location in Wetzel County said he is not afraid of the gas industry's environmental effects.

Councilwoman Holly Grandstaff made a motion to accept the first reading to repeal the ordinance until such time council can make an informed decision. The measure passed unanimously.

When asked if her motion meant that council would revisit the issue, Grandstaff said, “Yes, we have to.”

The repeal currently in motion would include the 1986 ordinance that prohibited the exploration for, extraction, production, and development of coal, oil, gas, or other hydrocarbon substances. The more recent ordinance included leasing and fracturing to the prohibition.

The required second reading to repeal the ban is expected to be held during council’s next regular meeting, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m.