Webster County OKs road-use agreement for Twin Rivers seismic testing after resident concerns

The Webster County Board of Supervisors voted Aug. 26 to approve a road-use agreement allowing Twin Rivers Exploration to perform shallow seismic testing on two stretches of county road in northeast Webster County.

The agreement, presented by County Engineer Jamie Joel, covers what Joel described as “Taylor Avenue from Hundredth Street down to 2 Tenth and then Hundred Tenth Street from Quail over to the county line,” a route he said is “under 20 miles now.” The company will use a vibratory machine that stops periodically to record subsurface data; Joel said the contractor agreed to stay 25 feet from drainage structures and 250 feet from bridges and to have third-party vibration monitoring on site.

The matter drew public comment from a nearby landowner, Nancy Schmalenberg of northeast Webster County, who said she did not believe landowners should be compelled to allow testing near their property and raised questions about dust and prior testing. “Seismic testing was done on Vincent Avenue and Washington Avenue in the early 2 thousands,” Schmalenberg said, and asked why testing should be done now if the landowner does not consent. She also described dust impacts she said she observed during earlier drilling operations.

Joel responded that the testing is confined to the county right-of-way and that the machine’s vibration is “far less than a semi driving down the road” and “less impact” than typical construction equipment. He said Twin Rivers had agreed to notify landowners before starting and would have a third-party vibration monitor on site. He also said the company previously has worked in Wright, Hardin, Hamilton and Carroll counties without reported issues.

Jefferson Fassbender, speaking later during another agenda item, noted the county had the agreement in its packet and could review its terms; during the discussion Joel confirmed the company had named Webster County as an additional insured on its policy.

The board approved the agreement by voice vote. The motion passed with no recorded nay votes.

Why it matters: The testing covers public roadways and prompted questions from nearby residents about consent for activity that may affect private land adjacent to the right-of-way, dust control and potential long-term use of collected data. County staff said the work will be limited, monitored, and done under agreed conditions in the road-use agreement.

What’s next: Joel said Twin Rivers will notify landowners before testing starts and that the county’s packet contains the signed agreement and insurance information.