FRANKLIN TWP — A group of residents worried about natural gas drilling threatened Monday to sue the township if limits aren’t set on a company leasing land along Election House road.

“We’ve already retained a lawyer,” said resident Bill Meyer. “We will sue the supervisors and the township.”

Meyer said after the meeting his group can’t stop the drilling, but it can pressure the township into regulating aspects of it.

His group of 15 is protesting XTO Energy’s plan to build a well pad on part of Clair Cratty’s 551 acres. This would be the first natural gas drilling site in the township.

Supervisor Herman Bauer, board chairman, declined to comment on the potential litigation, but said in an interview residents’ pleas aren’t being swept under the rug.

“We understand people’s concerns,” Bauer said.

He said before the meeting XTO should be ready within a couple months to present a land development plan to the township.

“They’d like to get started this summer,” Bauer said.

While the township can’t stop the drilling after the state Department of Environmental Protection issues a permit, residents want XTO to practice safety.

Meyer told the supervisors that drilling sites should be kept as far as possible from residences.

“You folks have the power to set limits,” he said.

Meyer suggested well pads be located 1,500 feet from any house and a mile from any school.

Roughly 30 people attended the meeting. Most voiced opposition to drilling.

Several residents linked numerous ailments to hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as fracking, which is the process of pumping water, sand and chemicals underground to break apart rock and release the gas.

Melissa Zacherl said university studies indicate numerous health issues, including nose bleeds and infertility, related to exposure of the types of chemicals being released into the air during fracking.

Zacherl said drilling is not a “safe, happy adventure.”

Eugene Scobel, who lives close to the proposed drilling site, said people would suffer from respiratory problems.

He predicted there would be problems caused by noise emanating from the site.

“Not getting the proper sleep could lead to serious health issues,” he said.

Ron Tokarchik compared the effects of fracking to what he endured from having been exposed to Agent Orange.

Meyer spoke about the importance of ensuring wells aren’t contaminated.

“Everybody’s entitled to good water,” he said.

His wife, Maryann Meyer, said drilling has been linked to earthquake activity.

She pointed out XTO has been fined for numerous drilling violations.

Her husband said the township should ban flaring — controlled burning of natural gas — because the industry has developed a new technique to capture methane.

Connie Fleeger asked the supervisors to delay drilling until 2015, when new federal regulations take effect.

Not all residents bashed drilling.

Karin Nicely said misusing statistics can be done to heighten fear.

Nicely said the benefits of natural gas drilling outweigh any detriments.

She said owners of smaller parcels may not understand the financial hardships facing many farmers, who need drilling leases to get by.

Nicely said she is more sensitive to chemicals than most of the people who were sitting in the meeting room, but is not worried about fracking.

She limits what household products enter her home.

“We’re exposed to a lot of chemicals,” Nicely said.

David May also defended drilling, saying the adverse impacts are exaggerated.

May said when he visits a friend in Connoquenessing who lives near a drilling site, he sees no problems.

“I can never hear a thing,” he said.

May said the drilling site is surrounded by a fence.

According to May, there is no way for the fracking fluid to enter anyone’s water supply.

He said it’s in a driller’s best interest to enforce safety standards.

“They want it done safely,” May said. “They don’t want bad press.”

However, drilling critics were not swayed.

Bill Meyer said in an interview people should not be relying on drilling for revenue.

“I think it’s fool’s gold,” he said.

Jack Soltis said he relocated from California to get away from pollution.

“I came from Los Angeles to get clean air,” Soltis said.

He said the township must monitor XTO.

“Let’s make sure our industrial guests (clean) up after themselves,” Soltis said.

Gerry Scobel said if the well pad is not shifted to another spot, Shannon Run will be contaminated, leaving Lake Arthur at risk.

Maryann Meyer asked for a zoning change restricting drilling to industrial zones, so it’s kept out of agricultural areas.

For John Zak, the issue was emergency services’ response to problems at drilling sites

Zak said he was told the closest Hazmat team was in Harmony.

“I don’t live in Harmony,” he said.

While there are some Hazmat vehicles stored in Harmony, the Butler County Hazmat team is based in Butler Township.

Steve Bicehouse, director of county emergency services, said in an interview fire departments are required to be trained to deal with problems that could occur from drilling.

“It’s required by federal law,” Bicehouse said.