SOMERSWORTH — Rising gas prices, drilling in the arctic and genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan were all among the topics U.S. Rep. Jeb Bradley discussed with area residents Saturday.

Residents fired questions at Bradley, R-N.H., for about an hour and a half during the congressman's second town hall meeting in Somersworth and 106th he's held in communities throughout the state.

Several residents held signs reading "please protect the arctic" and "Rep. Bradley, be our hero," urged the congressman against arctic oil drilling.

Bradley said he has "consistently" voted against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska and proposed looking at other areas, such as the Rocky Mountains or Gulf of Mexico for oil supplies.

"(Alaska) should be the last place we drill for oil," Bradley said.

Drilling in Alaska would also not ease the high gas prices the country is seeing today, he said. One problem contributing to escalating gas prices is the lack of refineries in the United States. Environmental permitting and public opposition — because "no one wants a refinery in their backyard" — has prevented the facilities from being built, he said.

Bradley noted that every time a refinery needs to stop production because of a disruption, such as a fire, the price of oil rises. Reducing the number of blends produced by refineries would help lower the price.

Aside from gas, Donna Nicholson of Effingham addressed the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan during the forum.

"It is very upsetting that the president of the United States has done nothing," Nicholson said.

Bradley called the situation in Darfur "deplorable" and noted he voted for resolutions calling the situation genocide. Sending U.S. troops into the region is not the best answer at this time, especially with the number of troops already deployed overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said. Using NATO or United Nations troops could be a better option should troops be sent to the region.

Nicholson said getting congressmen and Americans talking about the issue is the best place to start and agreed troops are not the best solution right away.

"Not everything requires American troops," said Nicholson, who has been working to bring attention to the Darfur issue for about a year. "A lot of attention to this would make a huge difference."

If political leaders began discussing the issue, the killing would slow down or stop, she said. It would also get the word into the American media so citizens could become informed.

Bradley noted how Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Sudan with Nicholson countering how she found it "striking" how a "black woman from the U.S. government" did not address Darfur at all during her visit.

"We are looking for the president to stand up and do what's right and pay attention to the issue," Nicholson said.