WSIL — Pennsylvania farmers visit our region to warn people about the dangers of a controversial drilling process.

The process is called hydraulic fracturing or, fracking, and it’s done by injecting water and chemicals into shale below ground to extract natural gas.

An energy company plans to use the drilling technique in Saline and Wayne Counties starting this summer.

But two farmers from Pennsylvania are telling people here that fracking is bad news.

Ron Gulla and Terry Greenwood say hydraulic fracturing by the Range Resources Corporation destroyed their farms in Western Pennsylvania. They say they’re here in hopes of preventing more lives from being ruined by what they believe is a dangerous process.

“I was the second horizontal well drilled in Pennsylvania and it was nothing but a nightmare from day one,” insisted Ron Gulla.

Gulla once farmed more than 100 acres of Pennyslvania land. Now, he travels the country to warn people about the dangers of fracking. He says he’s seen the negative impacts of fracking throughout the last four years.

“I know people that have had high levels of arsenic in their water, they’re livers are compromised, they’ve had their livers pinched,” he said.

Gulla believes clean air, water, and soil are far more important than drilling for natural gas. “You can’t live without clean air or clean water and they’re destroying it,” he said. “Everywhere this is taking place.”

Gulla says his troubles with the natural gas industry have forced him to quit farming.

Meanwhile, another Pennyslvania farmer is fighting to stay in business.

“They could care less about you,” said Terry Greenwood. “They only thing they care about is themselves and what profits they make off of you.”

Greenwood says Range Resources Corporation was drilling less than 300 feet from where his cattle drink water, and then dumping contaminated water into their pasture.

“For that whole season I lost 10 calves and one 2 year old cow,” said Greenwood. He says many of his calves were still born and local vets can’t explain why.

Greenwood believes none of this would have happened if the company had shared what chemicals they were using before they started drilling.

“If they’d have had it out there in the beginning, I could have tested my calves and known what happened,” he said. “They’re just covering themselves up and protecting each other.”

“Why would you allow anyone to come onto your property, your farm, your castle so to speak, and let them pollute it?” questioned Gulla.

The Obama administration proposed a new rule Friday that would require fracking companies to disclose the chemicals used, but not until after the drilling is finished.

Gas companies insist fracking is safe and more environmentally friendly than typical vertical wells.