NEW WILMINGTON, Pennsylvania - More than 100 farmers listened to property owners who signed on the dotted line and now regret allowing oil drilling on their properties.
At a meeting in New Wilmington some property owners who signed a lease to allow oil drilling on their property warn others their lives could mirror theirs.
Ron Gulla from Hickory, Pennsylvania tells people the nightmares began after the drilling in the Marcellus shale took place on his property putting his livelihood and livestock at risk.
Many of his cattle were dead at birth and blind. He lost his farm trying to prove the problems were caused by oil drilling. He says it's almost impossible to win against multi-million and multi-billion dollar corporations. "All the liability is left on the landowner and the community. These guys are gone. They don't stick around here. They sell this off and it gets sold many, many ways. If they did the investigative work, I guarantee they would run them off their property," Gulla said.
Terry Greenwood, a farmer in Washington County, tells 21 News he had the same problems. He never signed a lease, but the mineral rights had been sold to his property back in 1921.
He tells us when drilling for the second well began his water went to. "I called the gas company and they ignore you. I'm fighting with them. We're drinking out of a water dispenser for the last four years and Water Buffalo two thousand gallons of water for my cattle every four days. We don't have no water on the farm," Greenwood said.
Others add without safe drinking water, property values plummet. In addition they talked about health problems with high arsenic levels in their water for themselves and the family pets.
A group called the Fracking Truth Alliance of Lawrence and Mercer counties hosted the event.
"You definitely need to protect your family. You need to find out about water testing, distance from your home, distance from your animals, how long are they going to stay there. They have to build all these roads because there is over a thousand trucks per well," said a representative from Fracking Truth Alliance.
"Too many consequences most people aren't told and most people don't realize," said New Wilmington resident Steve Beck.
