"It went up and came back down on the foundation," said Thelma Payne, 85. "That was a very rude awakening."

The same could be said for state lawmakers, environmentalists and oil and gas industry lobbyists, who now refer to the explosion and evacuation of 19 nearby homes in Geauga County as the "Bainbridge incident."

The December 2007 explosion was caused when a cloud of natural gas in the basement ignited. No one was injured. State mining regulators found that gas from an improperly drilled oil and gas well leaked into groundwater and then into area basement water wells.

As a result, state lawmakers plan to advance a bill that would impose new restrictions and higher fees on oil and gas wells. The plan is supported by state regulators and the industry lobby, the Ohio Oil and Gas Association.

"The public needs to have faith and trust that the state's regulatory program is effective," said Tom Stewart, an association vice president.

The proposal also has the tentative support of the Ohio Environmental Council, an advocacy group and longstanding critic of the state's mining regulations and policies.

"Give the (Ohio Department of Natural Resources) and the industry credit. They acknowledged they have a problem, and they are willing to put forth solutions," said Jack Shaner, the group's lobbyist. "We will be looking for ways to tighten oversight."

Ohio oil and gas companies, encouraged by soaring fuel prices and a 2004 state law that opened cities, villages and townships to drilling, drilled more than 2,000 wells over the past two years.

Many of the new wells are on public and private land near golf courses, malls, schools and even cemeteries in eastern Ohio.

State Sen. Tom Niehaus, a New Richmond Republican and chief sponsor of the 2004 law, said more than 1,150 wells have been drilled in residential areas without problems.

"After five years, I think it's appropriate to step back and make (the law) better," said Niehaus, who sponsored the reform plan as well.

A draft copy of the plan shows that oil and gas companies would have to take extra steps to notify neighbors of future drilling and to reduce noise.

Companies also would have to increase insurance from $600,000 to $3 million in residential areas.

And fees for well permits would be doubled.

That would help raise $7.1 million a year that the Department of Natural Resources would use to hire as many as 12 inspectors, said Mike McCormac, the agency's oil and gas permitting manager.

Right now, the 35 people in the agency's oil and gas division can't get to every new drill site, he said.

"Our goal is (to visit) 100 percent," McCormac said.

Niehaus expects to introduce the bill within a few weeks.

The Paynes now live in a condominium. Mrs. Payne said she's happy that lawmakers are talking about the issue.

"Definitely, some changes need to made," she said.

shunt@dispatch.com