PennFuture Secures Victory for Homeowners in PA Supreme Court Case

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a long awaited decision in Gorsline v. Board of Supervisors of Fairfield Township v. Inflection Energy LLC, concluding a multi year legal battle in which PennFuture represented homeowners Brian and Dawn Gorsline and their neighbors. The case challenged Fairfield Township’s issuance of a conditional use permit that would have allowed a shale gas well pad in a residential‑agricultural district.

PennFuture argued that such an industrial operation was not "similar to and compatible with" the residential uses permitted in the zoning district, and that issuing the permit violated the homeowners’ constitutional rights. After years of litigation, the Supreme Court sided with the homeowners, ruling that the township failed to apply its own ordinance properly and that the permit should not have been issued.

This victory reinforces the importance of protecting communities from incompatible industrial development and upholding Pennsylvania’s Environmental Rights Amendment. PennFuture commends the Gorsline and Batkowski families for standing up for their rights and remains committed to defending clean air, pure water and healthy communities across the Commonwealth.