EVANS CITY — A resident opposed to Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling on borough property brought her concerns to borough council Monday night and urged members to exercise caution before signing a contract with a drilling company.

Borough officials have been in talks for months with Rex Energy, a company that would set up drilling rigs in Jackson Township but would drill for gas underneath property owned by Evans City.

That property, which is about 130 acres, includes the borough’s reservoir and is near Route 528 in the township.

Resident Emily Wilkinson addressed council before its meeting Monday and said that she’s concerned about air quality and roads being torn up by construction vehicles.

However, what she’s most concerned about is the possibility of the borough’s reservoir being contaminated by chemicals Rex Energy will use in the ground to facilitate the drilling.

“Evans City should not be a testing ground,” Wilkinson said. “I don’t think 4,000 residents should be exposed to this kind of risk.”

Councilman John McKinney said that he’s talked to numerous scientists who’ve assured him the possibility of chemicals or polluted water leaking in to the borough’s reservoir are extremely slim.

The drilling would take place more than a mile underground, he said, which is far below the reservoir. He also said Rex Energy will insert several layers of concrete in the drilling hole to block any pollutants that could leak into the reservoir.

“The chances of polluted water getting into (the reservoir), and I’ve talked to several geologists and such, it’s just not possible,” he said.

Council President Bill Painter said he had similar concerns when the borough started negotiating with Rex Energy.

Those concerns were eased, he said, when council earlier this year decided to close its water plant and instead buy bulk water from an outside company.

He doesn’t want any part of borough property being contaminated, Painter said, but residents won’t be drinking from the reservoir even if it would become tainted accidentally.

But Wilkinson remained steadfast in her concern, and urged council to reconsider the deal.

“It’s just too inherently dangerous to put next to a tightly populated area,” she said.

Solicitor Mike Gallagher said Monday night the borough and Rex Energy haven’t agreed on a price for the drilling contract and added that land title issues are holding up the process.

A contract still is expected to be finalized in the coming months.