Work has already begun on Poland Townships first horizontal dril - 21 News Now, More Local News for Youngstown, Ohio -

POLAND TOWNSHIP, Ohio - It's a first for Poland Township as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources grants the first permit related to horizontal drilling and the shale boom.

"Right over where those trees are, just beyond that is where that well pad is going to be," said Mike Heher.

Heher, the Division Manager at Carbon Limestone Landfill, says work has already begun at Poland Townships first horizontal drill site.

The company owns 22-hundred acres of land in Poland Township and the well will be placed on property adjacent to the landfill.

"One thing about having a landfill, we have an extensive ground water study that we've done and we are very concerned about protecting the groundwater. Hillcorp Energy, that's drilling this well, has agreed to take unbelievable steps to make sure that the groundwater is protected," Heher said.

Susie Biersdorfer with Frackfree Mahoning Valley says townships and cities need to fight to have more control over what's moving into their communities. "That is overseen by the ODNR (Ohio Department of Natural Resources) and citizens have no say whether they object to that," Biersdorfer said.

"The fact of the matter is, our governor and our state legislature have taken some very painstaking measures and my understanding is that Ohio has the most stringent regulations as it pertains to this type of drilling and the fracking if you will," said Robert Lidle, Jr., Poland Township Trustee.

Poland Township trustees say a number of other property owners around the landfill have also leased their mineral rights. Now they want to make sure that a funding source for the department of health that helps monitor well water safety is not cut as the shale boom enters the next phase.

"I think that's probably another good reason to keep the funding as is at the health department because they are the ones responsible for doing a lot of testing at the water wells," said Eric Ungaro, Poland Township Trustee.

According to Carbon Limestone, the oil & gas company plans to be a "good neighbor" and has already agreed to several projects to enhance the township park which sits just 2000-feet away from the site.