Residents of Jefferson Township should prepare themselves.

It recently came to my attention that a company, "Phillips Productions (a gas and oil well drilling company), plans to drill eight wells at three sites in the township. My source is the township's monthly newsletter.

One of these sites is to be on the pristine grounds of the Holy Trinity Monastery at the intersection of Bull Creek and Mushrush roads.

I have a few questions for the residents of that area: Are they ready to have their water table jeopardized and their water wells possibly contaminated or, worse still, go dry? Are they prepared to deal with the heavy truck traffic, 24/7 excessive noise, and the stench and potential toxic emissions from this well?

Are they prepared to have their property values decrease?

Are our paramedics and emergency medical technicians prepared to deal with emergency scenarios that might arise from an explosion or other catastrophic event at the well site?

And now a few questions for our elected officials:

How can they let this happen? What can we do to stop this?

It boggles my mind to think that Marcellus Shale drilling can possibly be permitted in such close proximity to a heavily populated area.

I have been told by a variety of sources at the local level that "our hands are tied" or "there's nothing we can do." Both of those are unacceptable.

Why can't Jefferson Township pass an ordinance that prohibits Marcellus Shale drilling within a five-mile radius of farms and homes that rely on well water? Why can't Butler County enact a law that bans all Marcellus Shale drilling within Butler County until sufficient data regarding the long-term effects can be studied thoroughly?

How pathetic that people can be so money-hungry as to allow themselves to believe that Marcellus Shale drilling will make them rich. The only ones getting rich from this debacle will be the big gas/oil companies. The rest of us will be left to pick up the pieces of our decimated properties and lives.

Imagine if the same amount of money, time and effort were devoted to developing renewable sources of energy, which I firmly believe God wants us to do. He gave us this magnificent Earth so that we may live, not for us to gouge, rape and destroy, strictly for monetary gain.

Again I say to residents of Jefferson Township: "Prepare yourselves."