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Jan 9, 2008 11:18 pm US/Central
Bedford Residents Concerned About Gas Drilling
BEDFORD (CBS 11 News) ―
Hundreds of people gathered at a town hall meeting in Bedford Wednesday night.
Many of them say they're concerned about the safety and health issues that could arise if natural gas drilling is allowed in the city.
More than 500 people came to hear experts talk about leasing, royalties and taxes.
After their presentations, it was the public's turn to speak. Each person had a little more than two minutes to express their comments and concerns.
"There are more issues here than just the dollars. We're talking about the environment," said one resident. "If you want to talk green, this is definitively going to be a consideration, because it's definitely going to hurt the water."
"I've been told the council is considering as little as a 200-foot set back, which is far too close for residential areas," said another resident. This statement was met by an eruption of applause from the audience. "Neighboring cities have 600 to 1,000 foot set backs. Some experts recommend 1,300 feet."
"Twenty-four-seven drilling, lights, noise, vibrations. It doesn't go away. Not happy for twenty days," said another resident. He's referring to the three weeks of drilling it takes to get the natural gas.
The city will continue to craft the ordinance and will discuss the matter at the next city council meeting on Jan. 22.
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