How One Couple Blocked the West Deer Well Pad – Lessons Learned

Olympus Energy (formerly Huntley & Huntley) drills in the Greater Pittsburgh region, in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. In 2021 Olympus filed an application to build a new well pad in a rural part of Allegheny County, in West Deer Township. So-called “concerned citizens” got amped up to oppose the project (see Antis in West Deer, PA Gear Up to Oppose Olympus Well Pad). Antis successfully convinced the board of supervisors to come over to the dark side. In December, West Deer supervisors voted 4-0 to deny a permit to build the pad (see West Deer Township Denies Olympus Permit to Build Shale Pad). This is the story of how the effort to block legal drilling activity was accomplished in West Deer Township.