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Natural gas companies doing business in Lycoming County soon will be required to have an address for their gas well sites, according to a proposed county ordinance.

Craig Konkle, operations and training supervisor for the county Department of Public Safety and public safety committee chairman for the county Community Gas Exploration Task Force, took the proposal to the county commissioners Tuesday morning.

Establishing addresses for well sites will enable 911 dispatchers to direct emergency responders to those sites during emergencies, Konkle said.

Most gas well workers are out-of-staters with no idea of where to tell 911 dispatchers to send emergency responders if a co-worker is injured or a gas well fire occurs, he said.

"The ordinance will require natural gas companies to follow the 911 ordinance just like anyone else in the county," Konkle said.

Companies must receive an address number from the county 911 addressing coordinator prior to being issued a drilling permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection, under the proposed ordinance.

Gas companies operating in the county have voluntarily had addresses assigned to 16 well sites, even though the ordinance is not yet in place, Konkle said.

"We asked (gas companies) to do this even though the county ordinance didn't require it," he said. "They have voluntarily stepped up to the plate to do it."

Few if any other counties in the state require addresses for gas well sites, Konkle said.

According to Commissioner Jeff C.Wheeland, the county provides 911 dispatch service for Sullivan County, which has no addressing requirements for gas well sites. Wheeland said he hopes the Sullivan County commissioners will enact a similar ordinance.

"Hopefully, this (ordinance) will be used as a model for other counties in the commonwealth," Wheeland said.

The commissioners are expected to act on the proposed ordinance on Thursday.