ADAMS TWP — The group of Mars School District parents who oppose placing natural gas wells on a farm near the district’s five schools will attend Tuesday night’s school board meeting to share the results of a meeting the group has scheduled for that morning with the driller and the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The group is concerned that an explosion or other failure at the proposed Rex Energy well site, which is at the Bob and Kim Geyer farm on Denny Road, could pose serious risk to the students and staff at the Mars schools.

The group also is concerned about the potential health risks to students during the process to extract the gas.

“Reported accidents and explosions related to unconventional drilling have required up to a 2-mile evacuation zone,” said Amy Nassif, one of the group’s leaders.

The group was unsuccessful in convincing Adams and Middlesex townships to enact a 2-mile radius around the schools that would prevent unconventional gas drilling. It also has met with resistance from other citizens regarding the group’s claims that the drilling is heavy industrial activity and could pose health risks.

Gary Clark, spokesman for DEP’s northwest district, said the meeting will be a discussion for the parent group and Rex Energy. He said DEP officials will facilitate the meeting and listen to the group’s concerns and the responses by the Rex Energy representatives.

Act 13, the state law that regulates gas drilling, allows residents who have significant concerns to request a meeting with the driller and the DEP.

Clark said the Geyer permitting decision, which will be made by the DEP, has been postponed for a month so the meeting could be held. He said officials then will make the decision on whether to grant the permit for the Geyer wells, which he expects to occur in the next few weeks.

He said the parents have been “great to deal with” as they have asked questions of the DEP over the course of their fight against the Geyer wells.

Nassif said the group will share the results of the conference with the school board at its meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The board convenes in the meeting room adjacent to the district offices at the primary center.

The school board in March rejected a lease offer from Rex Energy to drill for gas under school property. School board President Dayle Ferguson then pronounced the matter “closed” regarding the board.