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Ground could be broken in March on a facility in Painted Post to withdraw water for shale gas drilling operations in Pennsylvania.
The Wellsboro & Corning Railroad’s plan to build the water-loading station on an 11.4-acre portion of the old Ingeroll-Rand foundry site was detailed Tuesday to the Painted Post Planning Board.
The project is expected to take about 90 days to complete.
Bob Drew of Hunt Engineers, which is designing the facility, said it would be used to fill railcars with water that would be transported to a storage facility currently being constructed in Wellsboro, Pa.
The loading station would include use of a portion of a village building at the foundry site and new fencing around the site, Drew said. Trees would be planted along the fence to conceal the site from neighbors’ view.
A short stretch of railroad track – 2,700 feet long – would be extended to the site and equipment to fill railcars with village water will be installed.
“No trucks will be loading at the site whatsoever. The only trucks used will be in the construction phase,” Drew said. “The water taken from the site will be by train.”
Drew said the site would be able to fill 42 rail cars with water.
“It will take between 16-18 hours,” Drew said. “You will likely see a 42-railcar train moving out as another 42-unit train moves in.”
Marcia Weber, planning board chairman, said the planning board will not vote on the issue.
“That will be done by the Town Board,” Weber said. “This was just an informational meeting.”
Mayor Roz Crozier said he is hopeful the Town Board will schedule a special meeting to consider the proposal by the end of the month.
“I am pleased,” Crozier said. “A lot of work has gone into this. I’m hopeful it will be approved by the Town Board.”
Crozier said he doesn’t know if the project will have any impact on the village possibly dissolving to merge with the Town of Erwin.
“I haven’t heard anything about it,” Crozier said. “But the closer this gets I’m sure it will become a topic.”
Seth Gentile, a Wellsboro & Corning Railroad project manager, said the Wellsboro facility will include a pair of 3 million-gallon holding tanks.
“From the Wellsboro site water will be sold to gas drilling companies in Northern Pa.,” Gentile said.
The water deal could earn the village $2.6 million annually.
Ground could be broken in March on a facility in Painted Post to withdraw water for shale gas drilling operations in Pennsylvania.
The Wellsboro & Corning Railroad’s plan to build the water-loading station on an 11.4-acre portion of the old Ingeroll-Rand foundry site was detailed Tuesday to the Painted Post Planning Board.
The project is expected to take about 90 days to complete.
Bob Drew of Hunt Engineers, which is designing the facility, said it would be used to fill railcars with water that would be transported to a storage facility currently being constructed in Wellsboro, Pa.
The loading station would include use of a portion of a village building at the foundry site and new fencing around the site, Drew said. Trees would be planted along the fence to conceal the site from neighbors’ view.
A short stretch of railroad track – 2,700 feet long – would be extended to the site and equipment to fill railcars with village water will be installed.
“No trucks will be loading at the site whatsoever. The only trucks used will be in the construction phase,” Drew said. “The water taken from the site will be by train.”
Drew said the site would be able to fill 42 rail cars with water.
“It will take between 16-18 hours,” Drew said. “You will likely see a 42-railcar train moving out as another 42-unit train moves in.”
Marcia Weber, planning board chairman, said the planning board will not vote on the issue.
“That will be done by the Town Board,” Weber said. “This was just an informational meeting.”
Mayor Roz Crozier said he is hopeful the Town Board will schedule a special meeting to consider the proposal by the end of the month.
“I am pleased,” Crozier said. “A lot of work has gone into this. I’m hopeful it will be approved by the Town Board.”
Crozier said he doesn’t know if the project will have any impact on the village possibly dissolving to merge with the Town of Erwin.
“I haven’t heard anything about it,” Crozier said. “But the closer this gets I’m sure it will become a topic.”
Seth Gentile, a Wellsboro & Corning Railroad project manager, said the Wellsboro facility will include a pair of 3 million-gallon holding tanks.
“From the Wellsboro site water will be sold to gas drilling companies in Northern Pa.,” Gentile said.
The water deal could earn the village $2.6 million annually.
