Local

Grandparents use rocking chairs to protest drilling near their Mars School District

MARS, Pa. — A group of grandparents are using rocking chairs in a protest to black natural drilling near the Mars Area School District.

The group lined up rocking chairs Monday in the access road to the Geyer Well Pad being drilled by Rex Energy.

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The grandparents are demanding an end to drilling near the school district.

"This is a dangerous activity that really benefits few people only with money and we are totally opposed to it and we'll sit here as long as we have to,” grandparent Laurel Colonello said.

The group said that even though the drilling has started, it’s not too late to stop it.

Rex Energy has yet to return Channel 11’s requests for comment, but drilling at the site has been legal since May.

At the time the drilling was approved, the company said it would keep the school district updated on its work.

A representative for Rex Energy sent the following statement to Channel 11 News:

"As a local company, Rex has no higher priority than the safety of our employees and the communities where we operate. At this specific site, Rex has provided regular operational updates to the Mars Area School Board, has limited truck traffic during peak school hours and implemented a 'right-in, right-out' policy to mitigate any Route 228 traffic concerns, among other efforts beyond what's required. We will continue to meet or exceed all local, state and federal regulations."