The Allegheny Township supervisors are the latest to plunge into the growing Marcellus Shale controversy.

They asked their solicitor last week for recommendations on the regulation of deep well gas drilling.

In addition, a group of township residents gathered this week to hear Penn State Extension experts discuss the issue.

Township officials cannot ban drilling, as some residents may want.

The state Oil and Gas Act of 1984 regulates drilling. Individual property owners sign leases, giving companies the right to drill on their land.

"It's a rather gray area on what we can do," said Kathy Starr, chairwoman of the Allegheny supervisors.

She said officials want to be proactive and get ahead of the issue.

Unlike in neighboring Upper Burrell, Allegheny Township does not have a vocal group of residents with specific demands.

But drilling is definitely on the increase in the more rural townships in the Allegheny-Kiskiminetas Valley.

As many as 50 property owners in Allegheny Township may already have signed leases to allow Marcellus Shale drilling, Mrs. Starr said.

The drilling is very different from the shallow well drilling that has been prevalent in the Alle-Kiski Valley for years.

Companies drill vertically as far down as 10,000 feet to tap into a horizontal layer of Marcellus Shale. Then they drill horizontally and pump as much as 1 million gallons of water and chemicals into the shale to fracture the rock, which releases the gas.

Two accidents this month have some local residents and state officials concerned about the safety of drilling.

Seven workers were burned in a West Virginia well explosion, and a blowout of a well in Clearfield County caused chemicals and wastewater to shoot into the air.

The state Department of Environmental Resources ordered a temporary halt to drilling by the company operating in Clearfield. The cause of the blowout has not been determined.

Gas officials said the drilling in the West Virginia incident hit a pocket of methane gas in an old coal mine, causing the explosion.

Last week, the state Independent Regulatory Review Commission voted 4-1 to restrict the amount of solids in wastewater that go es into streams and rivers from drilling. Drillers often use chemicals such as arsenic, aluminum and cadmium with water to fracture the shale.

Mrs. Starr said she has been studying the issue for the past couple of years and has heard presentations from Penn State and gas company officials at state conventions for local officials.

"Penn State has advised municipalities that they can determine where trucks drive to get to a well, in addition to requiring companies to post a bond to protect road damage," she said.

Mrs. Starr said local officials also were advised to require companies to restore a damaged road to a good quality.

"There is a lot of money to be made from this gas, which they are calling 'liquid gold,' " Mrs. Starr said.

"They also tell us we can regulate the hours of drilling operations, such as from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m., or its proximity to houses."

The state Oil and Gas Act governs how close to buildings and other wells a well can be drilled and requires gas companies to compensate landowners for the mineral rights. But it exempts drillers from the federal Clean Water Act.

"If only that was repealed, it would make many people happy," Mrs. Starr said.

"We don't want to chase developers away, but it behooves us to be proactive. I don't want to hear emotions on why people don't want this drilling near them. I want facts."

John Framel, a former supervisor, organized the town meeting that was held Wednesday afternoon to help inform residents of their rights and issues surrounding the drilling.

"It is an emotional issue," Mr. Framel said. "People are concerned about safety, noise, pollution and the location of wells."

He wants to see the economic benefits preserved but without an adverse environmental effect.

Gas companies are approaching individual property owners, who may not know a fair price for a lease.

"One of our neighbors was offered $500 for a lease," Mrs. Starr said. "My son told him, 'Don't do it, the going price is $2,500 an acre, plus 15 to 17 percent royalties.' "

State Sen. Jim Ferlo, D-Highland Park, who represents some Kiski Valley communities, has called for a one-year moratorium on new gas wells, similar to a moratorium by the state of New York.

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