Residents concerned about drilling for oil and natural gas are asking Trumbull County Commissioners to make sure that companies that come to the area follow all necessary precautions to make sure the environment is not harmed.
Two residents spoke out on the issue during Wednesday's commissioners meeting. They said they also are concerned about fracking, which is a process that blasts pressurized water, sand and chemicals underground to release gas and oil reserves.
"No matter what, it is going to poison our environment. And if we allow drilling to continue on the schedule it is, we are going to have several thousand wells. We are going to not just have wells that extract oil, but also we will have injection wells," said resident Elaine Mastromatteo.
Commissioners said they are working with state officials to make sure any drilling in the area is done as safely as possible.
"We want to protect our waterways as much as anyone. We have asked our soil and water director to call a meeting to provide training and safety for all the departments. We are looking at every avenue to make sure it is a safe process," Commissioner Dan Polivka said.
The commissioners said they will hold future meetings on the drilling issues.
