Last Thursday, Payette County's Planning & Zoning Commission held a hearing for the approval of a Conditional Use Permit for a fracking company, Bridge Energy. The permit would authorize placement of a natural gas compression/dehydration plant for fracking byproducts, to be plopped right in the middle of some prime agriculture land in Payette County, Idaho.
Despite the fact, that the proposed plant processes the fluid and gas byproducts from a fracking operation, the audience was immediately instructed that the issue before the P & Z Commission was only related to a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for a dehydration plant and had nothing to do with fracking. The audience was sternly warned that they would not be allowed to make any mention or bring into discussion, anything about fracking.
There were well over 40 oral testimonies given in opposition to the CUP and numerous written ones submitted, that were not read during the meeting. Approximately 10 vendors or their employees of Bridge Energy, spoke in favor of the conditional use permit.
The greatest voice of opposition was from the rural community members that will be surrounding the proposed plant. They are rightfully concerned about what the dehydration/compression plant will do to their property values, air quality, infrastructure, water quality and quality of life.
Several testimonies referred to the Applicable Standards for Issuance of a Conditional Use Permit in Payette County Zoning Code 8-9-3. Several conditions were cited, but the one that prevailed the loudest was #A3. It reads:
Will be designed, constructed, operated and maintained to be harmonious and appropriate in appearance with the existing or intended character of the general vicinity and that such use will not change the essential character of the same area.
After a grueling 5-hour hearing, where everyone who wanted to, was given the opportunity to be heard, the Planning & Zoning Committee closed the hearing. They then began their meeting to discuss the concerns & issues that they had and that were raised by others in attendance.
In the first half of their discussion, the Commission appeared to be very concerned over expressed environmental concerns, as well as the "harmonious and appropriate appearance" that the plant would have on the rural New Plymouth community. But, somewhere along the way, once weariness and fatigue set in, their focus appeared to narrow considerably.
Eventually, the Commission was only focusing on what would make the Dehydration/Compression plant fit more aesthetically (harmoniously), into the landscape on SW 2nd Ave, between Butte Rd & Custer Ave. They did realize that this plant would be sitting directly in the backyards of some farms, dairies and private residential homes.
So, with that, they determined to place the burden on the County Engineer to put together some 'Conditions' to go along with the approval of the CUP. Primarily, the Conditions were related to landscaping, lighting, and noise.
No where in the anticipated list of Conditions, were environmental issues addressed. Issues such as: air quality, water quality, emergency response preparedness or potential traffic and road maintenance.
So, as of now, the Planning & Zoning Commission has tabled the CUP application and will revisit it at their August meeting. At that time, the County Engineer's Conditions will be presented and the Commission will vote to either approve or deny the Conditional Use Permit.
Sadly, by the end of an almost 6-hour marathon meeting, the relevant issues of environmental safety for the community and the planet did not get addressed. Those issues are ones that are currently devastating many people's lives in several states, after the natural oil and gas industry has come in and conducted their intrusive fracking operations.
The desired outcome of those in attendance were hoping that the Conditional Use Permit would be turned down for the SW 2nd Avenue location. But, at this time, it still looms over the minds of those who value their quality of life in their neighborhood and the planet.
For more information about the process of fracking, you can watched the attached 60 minutes coverage and/or access the movie trailer from the Sundance Movie Award winning documentary, Gasland:
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