LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission will not allow residents who live more than a half-mile radius from a proposed disposal site for a Sioux City injection well to testify at a public hearing.

About two dozen people and corporations qualify as interested parties, and will be allowed to testify before the three-member commission on March 24. Oil and Gas Director Bill Sydow said the commission is merely following the rules by blocking some people from testifying.

Terex Energy Corp. has an application before the commission to convert an unused oil well into an injection well to dispose of saltwater left over from hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking.

Opponents are concerned about the effects a spill could have on ground and surface water, as well as increased traffic on roads to the site that are near schools.