Residents concerned about proposed drilling site near Oklahoma school
EL RENO, Okla. – People who live near Banner School in Canadian County are worried about a possible new horizontal drilling site that would be located right behind the school.
“We saw the trucks bringing gravel in,” Phyllis Jackman told News 4.
Jackman says she was wondering what the gravel was going to be used for, so she called the Banner School to find out.
“We have connections to the school because we have grandchildren going there and so we found out that they had been notified,” Jackman said.
They were notified by Chaparral Energy that they are planning to drill a horizontal well right behind the school.
“That it’s so close to the school, the activity, the lights at night for myself, just living across the street from it, the traffic,” Jackman said, listing off some concerns.
More importantly, she’s worried about safety after a site near her Union City home caught fire years ago before they moved to El Reno.
It’s not a done deal just yet. The company will go before a judge later this month to get final approval.
That hearing will take place on Monday, Sept. 16 at 8:30 a.m. on the first floor of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.