Oil drilling is often equated with prosperity. Just ask Jed Clampett from the old show "The Beverly Hill Billies."
But in Shelby Township residents aren't looking at it that way. They're up in arms over test drilling in the neighborhood being conducted by West Bay Exploration of Traverse City, which obtained a permit from the state.
On Wednesday, about 650 area residents packed a township meeting in Shelby Township to voice outrage over the drilling that began this week within about 500 feet of some residents around areas like 26 Mile and Dequindre. Neighbors say it's noisy and unregulated.
The night before, the Shelby Township Board voted on a six month moratorium on oil drilling to give the city more time to address the issue. On Wednesday night, the Scio Township government in Washtenaw County also voted on a similar moratorium to block drilling that has been going on.
"My husband and I were walking back there and we heard this huge clanging," Shelby Township resident Rita Mahfit said, according to Fox 2's Andrea Isom.
"It was a surprise...the first we heard about it at ...3:15 on a Saturday morning when the noise started and the texts started coming to my house," said the City Attorney Rob Huth, a Shelby Township resident.
"What's going on in this township has not been responsible, the residents living with 24 hour a day noise unregulated is outrageous and the township is going to get its arms around it.
