Her comments were made at a hearing on House Bill 1946 (Vitali-D-Delaware) which would increase the minimum setback from unconventional shale gas wells from 500 feet to 2,500 feet from homes and 5,000 feet from schools, hospitals and long-term care facilities.
My name is Michelle Stonemark and I live in Cecil Township, approx. 523 feet from the George Augustine unconventional well pad owned by Range Resources.
The pad was approved in 2017 based on an old oil and gas ordinance in place in Cecil Township.
My family and I fought the pad, but we lost in court.
Since Cecil Township recently updated its oil and gas ordinance, I will refer to the previous ordinance as the “old ordinance”
Cecil Township developed the old oil and gas ordinance in 2009 based on state minimum standards and input from industry leaders.
I would like to touch upon two huge factors in that ordinance that affected my family-- the setbacks and the noise.
I’ll begin with the setbacks. Cecil Township used the state minimum setback of 500.
When they began drilling the Augustine well pad in 2020 they drilled 4 wells. It was a little over 500’ from my home, 600’ from my parent’s home and a little over 800’ from a neighborhood of 250 homes to the south of the pad.
In 2020 and 2021 Range Resources used their “Green Fleet” while they conducted an air study at the Augustine well pad.
We suffered from months of sleepless nights because of the noise; spent countless days unable to let our children play outside because of the smells in the air.
We suffered from nose bleeds, headaches, and nausea.
One terrible aspect was the flaring, which looked like a giant flame thrower shooting a large stream fire into the sky just behind our home.
The startup of the flaring would create a boom loud enough to wake us from our sleep, and the hissing would keep us awake for several hours a night.
The flaring would light up our entire home and during that time the air around us smelled distinctly different: an industrial smell of chemicals and terrible odors that we have not experienced before or since.
It would burn off some kind of smoke that we could see and smell in the air. However, Range would later produce their long-term air quality study and claim that our air was fine.
The noise from drilling was constant, and most likely contributed to our headaches.
There was a constant low sounding rumble that could be felt and heard in our beds at night.
We would complain to our township, and Range would come out to our house with sound monitors and determine that they were in compliance with our ordinance.
The biggest issue during that time was the anxiety we all felt. It was like living in constant fear.
We would hear a loud noise that sounded like gun shots, massive clanging in the middle of the nights and lived in fear that something was wrong at the pad that would cause us harm.
When we would call Range’s 24/7 response line, they would take hours or sometimes days to get back to us.
We never knew if things were safe and functioning as expected or if there was a reason to worry.
I would like to remind you all where you were in 2020 and 2021.
A vast majority of the time they were drilling and fracking, we were trapped in our homes by the pandemic which was already a time of high anxiety for everyone.
After the last well was fracked, things settled down for a while, but we would still hear constant truck traffic and pipes clanging during all hours of the night.
Then Range returned in 2023 to begin 5 new wells. They did not bring their “green fleet” and they did not conduct an air study during that time.
What we experienced during the first wave of drilling was magnified exponentially.
The smells, the trucks, and especially the noise all seemed to increase. This round of drilling was nothing short of unbearable.
The old Cecil ordinance only required Range Resources to remain under a certain level of decibels called DBAs.
Those are the sounds that you hear most commonly like someone talking or a vacuum cleaner.
What the old ordinance did not account for were DBCs which are low frequency sounds.
Imagine sitting at a red light and a car with its bass on very high pulls up next to you.
That thumping sound can be felt in your chest and head, and the change in your cupholder will rattle. Those are DBCs.
And that is what was being emitted from the Augustine well pad.
On average the city of Pittsburgh will experience DBCs between 60 and 70.
We live in a rural area on private property and the Augustine well pad was averaging between 80 and 90 DBCs daily.
Our house would literally vibrate. Pictures shook on walls, tools would clang in the garage and water would shake in a glass on the table.
We couldn’t sleep in certain rooms in the house including our master bedroom.
Our kitchen was the worst room in the house and we couldn’t spend more than a few minutes in there.
Dishes would rattle and the noise just pumped in our chests.
Again we would complain, Range would put out a sound monitor but they were in compliance.
No one suffered more than my eldest daughter, who would feel as though she had bugs crawling on her or felt like she was coming out of her skin.
Remember, as a family we still had the other effects as well, sleepless nights, the horrible smells outside, the huge fireballs in the air and the constant fear and anxiety.
The nausea and headaches were almost a daily occurrence.
At this point I began having representatives from Cecil Township to my home so they could experience it themselves.
Several Cecil Township supervisors and employees stood in my kitchen and immediately complained they could feel it in their head and chests after only a few minutes.
I advocated heavily for increased setbacks and started sharing videos and pictures of my experience with other Cecil Township residents.
With help from the Cecil Township supervisors, some of whom voted for the Augustine well pad to begin with, the process began to update our township oil and gas ordinance.
During that time, Range’s own air study was proven flawed under oath by their expert.
After several months of hearings, and overwhelming residential support and testimony from several experts in the industry,
The Board of Supervisors passed a new oil and gas ordinance in late 2024.
The new ordinance increased setbacks to 2,500 feet from residents and included specific provisions for DBCs; the low frequency sounds.
While this new ordinance will not help my family, it will protect thousands of other residents in Cecil from going through the same ordeal.
That being said, it should not vary township to township.
That’s why I’ve been heavily advocating for increased setbacks across the state of Pennsylvania.
Increasing the setbacks would not only help to protect residents from the bright lights, heavy flaring, awful smells and massive truck traffic, but it would also make a huge difference in the noise problems associated with unconventional drilling.
Click Here for a copy of Michele Stonemark’s written testimony.
Written Testimony/Comments
Written testimony and comments offered to the Committee included--
-- Cindy Fisher, Supervisor, Cecil Township, Washington County
-- Michele Stonemark, Resident, Cecil Township
-- Lois Bower-Bjornson, Frackland Tours, Clean Air Council
-- Dr. Edward Ketyer, President, Physicians For Social Responsibility - PA [PPT Slides]
-- Patrick Henderson, Vice President, Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition
-- Melissa Ostroff, Policy & Field Advocate, EarthWorks
Other written comments--
-- Environmental Health Project - Health Impacts From Shale Gas Development
-- Environmental Health Project - Research Review - Asthma Exacerbations
-- Environmental Health Project - Research Review - Adverse Birth Outcomes
-- Environmental Health Project - Research Review Childhood Lymphoma
-- Barbara W. Brandom, MD, Concerned Health Professionals Of PA
-- Stuart Day, Lawrence County Resident
-- PA Chamber of Business & Industry
-- American Petroleum Institute - Pennsylvania
Hearing Video
Click Here to watch the hearing video.
Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) serves as Majority Chair of the House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-787-7647 or sending email to: gvitali@pahouse.net. Rep. Jack Rader, Jr. (R-Monroe) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-787-7732 or click here to send an email.
Related Articles - House Hearing:
-- 500 Feet Isn’t Enough - House Hearing I: Shale Gas Industry Says Setbacks Won’t Protect Residents, Public Health, Environment From Shale Gas Operations, Only ‘Rigorous Oversight’ Will; Standards Have Not Changed In 9 Years [PaEN]
-- 500 Feet Isn't Enough- House Hearing II: As A Township Supervisor We Have An Obligation To Protect The Health, Safety And Welfare Of Our Township Residents From Shale Gas Development [PaEN]
-- 500 Feet Isn't Enough - House Hearing III: What It’s Really Like Living Next To A Shale Gas Well Pad - Nosebleeds, Headaches, Nausea, Air Pollution, Vibrating House, Sleepless Nights, Anxiety, Truck Traffic [PaEN]Resource Links - Setbacks:
-- 500 Feet Isn’t Enough: 42 Scientific Studies, 20+ Years Of Experience With Shale Gas Drilling In PA; A State Grand Jury Report; Criminal Convictions; Public Complaints; Lawsuits; Media Reports All Document The Need To Increase Setbacks From Shale Gas Wells [PaEN]
-- 500 Feet Isn’t Enough: Michelle Stonemark Tells What It’s Really Like Living Next To A Shale Gas Well Pad - Nosebleeds, Headaches, Nausea, Air Pollution, Vibrating House, Sleepless Nights, Anxiety - In Cecil Twp., Washington County [PaEN]
-- 500 Feet Isn't Enough: Environmental Groups Urge Environmental Quality Board To Accept Rulemaking Petition For Study Increasing Setbacks From Shale Gas Wells [PaEN]
-- House Environmental Committee To Hold Oct. 30 Hearing On Bill Increasing Setback Safety Zones From Shale Natural Gas Drilling Sites, Infrastructure Based On Latest Science, Grand Jury Report [Background on the Issue] [PaEN]
Resource Links - Cecil Township:
-- Cecil Township Supervisors In Washington County Adopt 2,500 Setback From Shale Gas Well Pads From Homes, Businesses, 5,000 Foot Setback From Hospitals, Schools [November 2024]
-- Range Resources And MarkWest Liberty Midstream File Legal Challenges To The 2,500 Foot Shale Gas Facility Setback Ordinance Adopted By Cecil Township, Washington County [January 2025]
Resource Links - Health, Environmental Impacts:
-- Environmental Health Project Releases New White Paper: PA's Shale Gas - What We Can Do Now To Better Protect Public Health [PaEN]
-- Environmental Health Project: Lois Bower-Bjornson Shares Her First-Hand Experiences With Shale Gas Health, Environmental Impacts In Washington County [PaEN]
-- State Dept. Of Health Apologizes For Not Listening To Communities Suffering Health Impacts From Shale Gas Development; New Health Study Results ‘Just The Tip Of The Iceberg’ [August 2023]
-- University Of Pittsburgh School Of Public Health Studies Find Shale Gas Wells Can Make Asthma Worse; Children Have An Increased Chance Of Developing Lymphoma Cancer; Slightly Lower Birth Weights [August 2023]
-- State Dept. Of Health Invites Citizens To File Environmental Health Complaints Related To Natural Gas Development; Health Will Also Review Environmental Test Results [September 2023]
-- State Dept. Of Health Pushing For Changes To Reduce Adverse Health Impacts From Natural Gas Development [November 2023]
-- New State Health Plan Identifies Health Issues Related To Natural Resource Extraction, Climate Change In Top 5 Threats To Health Outcomes [April 2023]
-- 2025 PA Shale Gas & Public Health Conference Attended By Nearly 480 People Featured Health Experts, Scientists, Advocacy Groups On Health, Environmental Impacts Of Shale Gas Development [February 2025]
-- Presentations Now Available From 2022 Shale Gas & Public Health Conference In Nov. Hosted By PA League Of Women Voters & University Of Pittsburgh Graduate School Of Public Health [December 2022]
-- Fact Sheet: How Oil and Gas Operations Impact Your Baby’s Health
-- Frackland Video Tour, with Lois Bower-Bjornson, Clean Air Council
-- Senate Hearing: Body Of Evidence Is 'Large, Growing,’ ‘Consistent’ And 'Compelling' That Shale Gas Development Is Having A Negative Impact On Public Health; PA Must Act [June 2022]
-- House Committee Hearing On Increasing Safety Setbacks Zones Around Natural Gas Facilities Heard About First-Hand Citizen Experiences On Health Impacts, From Physicians On Health Studies And The Gas Industry On Job Impacts [October 2023]
-- Sen. Yaw, Republican Chair Of Senate Environmental Committee, Calls Bill To Reduce Shale Gas Industry Impacts On Health, Environment ‘Stupid’ [October 2023]
-- Senators Santarsiero, Comitta Introduce SB 581 Increasing Setback Safety Zones From Natural Gas Drilling Sites, Other Infrastructure, Based On Latest Science [January 2024]
Resource Links - Local Impacts Of Oil & Gas Development:
-- Freeport Township Declares Disaster Emergency After Residents Impacted By A Gas Related Water Contamination Event Have Been Without Permanent Water Supplies For 3 Years-- We’re Not Blaming Anybody, We Just Want Good, Clean Drinking Water [August 2025]
-- Springhill Township Becomes 2nd Township To Declare Disaster Emergency After Residents Were Impacted By A Gas Related Water Contamination Event In Greene County [August 2025]
-- Observer-Reporter: Study Shows Probable Link Between Freeport Twp. Water Well Contamination And Fracking In Greene County [PDF of Article]
-- Independent Research Study By Pitt, Duquesne Ties Water Well Contamination To Shale Gas Drilling In 2 Greene County Townships That Declared Water Disaster Emergencies [9.17.25]
-- PA American Water Identifies Water Source For New Public Water System To Replace Water Wells Contaminated By Shale Gas Fracking 20 Years Ago In Dimock Twp., Susquehanna County [3.13.25]
-- Coterra Energy Fined $299,000 For Contaminating 13 Private Water Supplies In Lenox Twp., Susquehanna County - Just A Few Miles From Dimock [7.29.25]
-- Late Night Road Dumping: Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Continues To Be Dumped On Dirt, Gravel, Paved Roads; DEP Expected To Provide Update At April 24 Meeting [4.9.25]
-- PA Environment Digest: Click Here to learn more about oil and gas industry impacts.
Resource Links - Oil & Gas Compliance:
-- Criminal Convictions; Record Penalties, Restitution Of Over $158.3 Million Highlight Big Shale Gas, Related Petrochemical Industry Compliance History In Pennsylvania [March 2025]
-- DEP Reports 575 Water Supply/Stray Gas Complaints About Oil & Gas Operations In Last 2 Years; Investigation Can Take A Year, Sometimes 2-3 To Find Those Responsible [March 2025]
-- Freeport Township Declares Disaster Emergency After Residents Impacted By A Gas Related Water Contamination Event Have Been Without Permanent Water Supplies For 3 Years-- We’re Not Blaming Anybody, We Just Want Good, Clean Drinking Water [August 2025]
-- Springhill Township Becomes 2nd Township To Declare Disaster Emergency After Residents Were Impacted By A Gas Related Water Contamination Event In Greene County [August 2025]
-- Daily Grind Living Next To Oil & Gas Industry: Spills, Polluted Water Supplies, Smells Like Gas, Noise, Air Pollution, Explosions, Truck Traffic, Erosion, Radioactive Waste, Gas Flares, Dust, Lights, Road Dumping Waste, Abandoned Wells [March 2025]
-- AG Shapiro: Grand Jury Finds Pennsylvania Failed To Protect Citizens During Natural Gas Fracking Boom [June 2022]
-- Senate Hearing: First-Hand Account Of Health, Environmental Impacts From Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater - ‘Inhaling Oil & Gas Wastewater 24-Hours A Day’ [April 2024]
-- House Hearing: A First-Hand Account Of How Repeated, Unlimited Road Dumping Of Oil & Gas Drilling Wastewater Is Tearing Apart Dirt Roads And Creating Multiple Environmental Hazards [June 2024]
-- House Hearing: Penn State Expert Says ‘Pennsylvania Should Ban Road Spreading Of Oil & Gas Wastewater;’ Contaminants Exceed Health, Environmental Standards [June 2024]
PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:
-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Nov. 15 to 21: Fails To Restore Shale Gas Well Pad For 1,418 Days; Fails To Clean Up Spills At 2 Conventional Wells For 1,038 Days; Owner Abandons 35 Conventional Wells [PaEN]
-- DEP: Crude Oil Released From Failed Conventional Oil Well Gathering Line Travels Nearly Length Of 2 Football Fields In Hamilton Twp., McKean County [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - November 22 [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Air Quality Permit For 8 Million Gallon EQT Midstream Oil & Gas Wastewater Storage Facility In Jackson Twp., Greene County [PaEN]
-- DEP Accepting Comments On Renewal Of Phase II Acid Rain Air Quality Permit For The 750 MW Natural Gas Marcus Hook Energy Power Plant, Delaware County [PaEN]
-- DEP: Comments Now Being Accepted For Renewal Of Title V Air Quality Permit For Hunterstown Power, LLC Natural Gas Power Plant In Adams County [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Renewal Of Title V Air Quality Permit For The Energy Center Fuel Oil/Natural Gas Power Plant Serving Downtown Harrisburg Heating District, Dauphin County [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 55 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In November 22 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- 500 Feet Isn’t Enough - House Hearing I: Shale Gas Industry Says Setbacks Won’t Protect Residents, Public Health, Environment From Shale Gas Operations, Only ‘Rigorous Oversight’ Will; Standards Have Not Changed In 9 Years [PaEN]
-- 500 Feet Isn't Enough- House Hearing II: As A Township Supervisor We Have An Obligation To Protect The Health, Safety And Welfare Of Our Township Residents From Shale Gas Development [PaEN]
-- 500 Feet Isn't Enough - House Hearing III: What It’s Really Like Living Next To A Shale Gas Well Pad - Nosebleeds, Headaches, Nausea, Air Pollution, Vibrating House, Sleepless Nights, Anxiety, Truck Traffic [PaEN]
-- DEP Issues Air Permit For Largest Natural Gas Power Plant In US To Feed Proposed 3,200 Acre Homer City A.I. Data Center Campus In Indiana County [PaEN]
-- Montour County Planning Commission Recommends Against Talen Energy Request To Rezone 870 Acres For A Natural Gas Power Plant Expansion To Feed A.I. Data Centers [PaEN]
-- PUC Invites Comments On Proposed Model Tariff To Balance A.I. Data Center Growth And Ratepayer Protection [PaEN]
-- PUC: Natural Gas Utility Winter Reliability Reports Forecast Slightly Higher Usage, Costs [PaEN]
-- Dept. Of Human Services Begins Accepting Applications For Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) Dec. 3, After Federal Shutdown Delay [PaEN]
-- PUC Directs Staff To Develop Rule On Winter Terminations, Payment Arrangements, Other Consumer Protections
-- North American Electric Reliability Corp: Electric Grid At Elevated Risk Of Insufficient Energy Supplies During Extreme Weather Due To Rising A.I. Data Center Demands, 'Precarious' Natural Gas Supplies [PaEN]
-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - November 24 [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Inquirer: How An Energy Transfer/Sunoco Petroleum Products Pipeline Leak Disrupted A Quiet Bucks County Neighborhood: ‘Never Drink The Water’ [PDF of Article]
-- The Center Square: Lawsuits Target Northeast Supply Enhancement Natural Gas Pipeline From PA To NY Backed By President
-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Bellwether District- Site Of Former Philadelphia Refinery-- Could Soon Announce Its First Tenants
-- WITF/LancasterOnline: Mild Forecast For PA Winter Heating Bills In Peril As Natural Gas Prices Surge
-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: UGI Gas Company Contributes $500,000 For Customers Struggling To Pay Heating Bills
-- Post-Gazette/AP: New Analysis Shows More US Consumers Are Falling Behind On Their Utility Bills
-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: PUC Proposes Special Treatment For A.I. Data Center Power Connections To Contain The Cost Burden On Existing Ratepayers [PDF of Article]
-- York Daily Record: Where Does York County Rank In Electricity Production Across PA & US (Really High) [Data Center Series] [PDF of Article]
-- Utility Dive: PJM Members Fail To Agree On A.I. Data Center Interconnection Rules; Board May Develop A Proposal, But Timing Unclear
-- The Center Square: Consensus For Soaring A.I. Data Center Power Demands Still Elusive Among PJM Members
-- The Center Square: ‘Ghost’ A.I. Data Center Projects Haunt PJM Power Grid Planners, Raising Energy Costs
-- Utility Dive: North American Electric Reliability Corp: Winter Peak Demand Is Rising Faster Than Resource Additions
-- WHYY: PJM Electrical Grid To Decide Who Pays Bill For Massive A.I. Data Centers
-- PA Capital-Star: A.I. Data Center Growth Drives Communities In PA, Other States To Fight For More Say
-- Reuters: US A.I. Data Center Demand Raising Power Risks This Winter, NERC Says
-- Bloomberg: US Faces Winter Blackout Risks From A.I. Data Centers’ Power Needs, NERC Says
-- WFMZ: Montour County Planning Commission Votes Against Talen Energy Rezoning Request
-- York Daily Record: Where Does York County Rank In Electricity Production Across PA & US (Really High) [Data Center Series] [PDF of Article]
-- Utility Dive: FERC OKs NRG’s 19 GW Purchase Of LS Power Gas-Fired [5 In PA], Demand Response Assets; BP Wind Energy Sale Also Approved [PA Wind Farm]
-- US Dept. Of Energy Closes On $1 Billion Taxpayer Funded Loan To Constellation Energy To Finance Restart Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant To Power Microsoft A.I. Data Centers [Company Originally Claimed No Taxpayer Money Would Be Used To Restart The Plant]
-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: President’s Energy Dept. Approves $1 Billion Loan For Three Mile Island Nuclear Reactor Restart [Federal Legislation Makes Taxpayer Funding Available]
-- AP: US DOE Loans $1 Billion To Help Finance Restart Of Three Mile Island Nuclear Reactor [Company Originally Claimed No Taxpayer Money Would Be Used To Restart The Plant]
[Posted: November 18, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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