Board expected to approve clean up of cemetery

Measures to clean up an area of White Lake Township and protect the environment were expected to be approved last night, Tuesday, Oct. 16 by the township Board of Trustees after press time.

Among the items to be considered at the board’s Oct. 16 meeting were a recommendation to approve $4,000 for cleaning up of the White Lake Cemetery. The agreement would allocate $2,800 per day for three men, a chipper, bucket truck, and crane to dispose of debris.

Specifically, the clean up would involve the removal of four pine trees on the south side of the property; the removal of two other dead trees; trimming about 50 additional trees; rounding off and grooming all bushes; removing bushes and debris that interfere with headstones; and other clean up of debris and vegetation.

The board yesterday was also expected to consider a resolution supporting increased legislative and regulatory action on oil and gas development using hydraulic fracturing, a controversial process commonly known as “fracking.”

Fracking is a process used by gas producers to stimulate wells and recover natural gas from sources such as coal beds and shale gas formations. The process involves the use of chemicals and potentially hazardous materials at the surface for injection and through gas production wells into geological formations. The process has also raised concerns regarding adverse health effects and environmental impacts.

The resolution supports the passage of federal legislation to add administrative rule changes governing the permitting of oil and gas production in regards to fracking.

“The Fracking Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act would repeal the fracking exemption to the Safe Drinking Water Act and require disclosure of chemicals used in fracking,” the resolution reads. “Protection of White Lake Township’s water supplies and resources is better accomplished by prevention of contamination and environmental degradation, rather than attempting to clean-up contamination and restoring degrading environments after the fact.”