Cecil Township Supervisors heard another three hours of public comment from a standing room only crowd on Wednesday on updates to their oil and gas ordinance. The first meeting held in April brought some of the suggestions made by residents to life. Supervisors worked hard studying ordinances from many areas looking to find something that added restrictions but also held up to court challenges from the fracking industry. The ordinance that they are currently patterning their ordinance around comes from Murrysville, PA. Supervisor Cindy Fisher stated that their ordinance has had court challenges and survived. Supervisors are working with engineers to develop a map that uses increasingly restrictive criteria to determine the best places available for future drilling. Supervisors also hired an engineer to study the noise and vibration aspects of the ordinance. The engineer stated that fracking operations were in compliance with the current ordinance but used loopholes to get around low frequency noise and vibrations not typically heard in the normal range of hearing. He offered suggestions to tighten up those loopholes. Public comment centered on having supervisors implement stricter air, water and noise protections. Over two dozen residents spoke and the vast majority spoke of well pad set back limits of 2500 feet or more from any adjacent structures. An attorney speaking on behalf of the Traditions of America development suggested that supervisors look less to current surface operations like well pads and consider sub surface operations that will accomplish the same goal. In other words, instead of granting new well pad applications, have existing operations drill under areas from existing pads to gain the natural gas desired. Questions of conflict of interest arose. Supervisor Darlene Barni admitted to the group that she has gas leases on land she owns. Residents did not fault her for taking advantage of the opportunity that those leases provide. They demanded that she recuse herself from any vote taken regarding oil and gas regulation. Supervisor Chairman Tom Casciola said that the question would be forwarded to an ethics commission. Another public hearing is scheduled for June 5.