Members of Marcellus Outreach Butler protest gas drilling planned near Mars School District property in Adams Township during a rally Wednesday in front of Mars High School.

ADAMS TWP — About 60 people attended a rally Wednesday to share their concerns about the effects they say five gas wells will have on the 3,200 students in the Mars School District.

The 3 p.m. rally was sponsored by Marcellus Outreach Butler along Route 228 in front of Mars High School.

The rally included five speakers who discussed the potential health and safety effects on Mars students from the five Rex Energy wells planned for the Bob and Kim Geyer farm on Denny Road.

The well pad is .6 miles from Mars school property, and the group says emissions from the wells and the potential for a malfunction like an explosion pose serious risks to the students.

Raina Rippel, executive director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project, said a University of Pennsylvania study on hospitalization data associated with fracking was released just one hour before the rally.

She said the study proves that gas drilling does not belong near vulnerable populations like school children.

“The health of our children and gas drilling are absolutely incompatible,” Rippel said.

Many who attended the rally held signs up for the heavy traffic on Route 228. “Honk to stop fracking,” and “Fracking: Poison our kids for $$$$” were messages on a few of the signs.

The Geyer well pad is complete, but has not been drilled because of an injunction issued by Butler County Court Judge Michael Yeager while an appeal in the case is hashed out in his court.

Many of those who attended the rally said they are not against fracking, but they oppose wells being drilled close to schools.