Township officials said they know about the surveying, but some residents are wondering why they were never told.

The men are from the Great Lakes Excavating Company. They told residents on Westgate Drive that they were hired by Phillips to look for natural gas and oil in the area.

They are marking the wooded area in Lower Yoder and testing will likely begin in the next day or so. The current plan is to drill small holes about 6 to 8 feet deep and set off a small charge to see if there are underground pockets of gas.

Residents told Channel 6 News, they are upset that the township never told them about the surveying. Also, if natural gas is found, their quiet neighborhood could be a thing of the past.

"I've been here since 1980," said resident Ralph Galasso. "It's wonderful living here. I'd hate to see it destroyed by some idiots with greed in mind. They aren't going to give the property owners anything."

Phillips does own the mineral rights around that area. The surveyors told Channel 6 that they had permission to be on a neighbor's property and didn't mean to get too close to the other houses.

They said if they do find natural gas, Phillips would need to get a permit to bulldoze and put up gas wells.