Fracking Around Ohio State Parks is Much More Than a Public Annoyance

Guernsey County residents speak out against fracking
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From an Article by J. W. Dennison, Daily Jeffersonian, Cambridge, OH, July 26 2023
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CAMBRIDGE — During a recent Guernsey County commissioners meeting, Terri Sabo and her husband Rick discussed proposals brought to Ohio’s Oil & Gas Land Management Commission (OGLMC) to allow fracking under Salt Fork State Park with the well pads placed outside the park.

Salt Fork is the largest state park in Ohio and a large source of tourism in Guernsey County. The Sabos were hoping to convince the county commissioners to reach out to the state with their concerns. The county commissioners do not have any control over OGLMC’s approval, but were still interested in what the Sabos had to say.

“I’m glad they were interested and surprised that they apparently were unaware that it was an issue for Guernsey County. I plan on letting (Gov. Mike) DeWine know that,” Terri Sabo said.

A window for the OGLMC to receive public comments on the proposal closed July 20 and those comments will be distributed to all members of the commission per Ohio law to help decide on the matter. However, the efforts of the Sabos and the group Save Ohio Parks do not stop there.

“Save Ohio Parks is waiting for the commission to announce (the) next meeting, then plan to attend as their meetings are open to (the) public or you can Zoom. There are other parks and wildlife areas that are still being submitted and commented on,” Sabo said. Nominations for other areas like Wolf Run State Park have its public comment window open until July 28.

Fracking or hydraulic fracturing is the process of injecting a mixture of water, salt, and/or other chemicals to break apart underground bedrock releasing oil and gas reserves. The practice is largely controversial because on one hand it has brought billions of dollars to the state of Ohio, and on the other hand are environmental impact and safety concerns.

“The Ohio Department of Natural Resources carefully reviewed the nominations and provided comment on the submissions. We treasure our state parks and wildlife areas and plan to advocate for stipulations to any possible lease agreement that provides more protections to our natural wonders while ensuring the potential development of the state’s energy sources,” ODNR Spokesman Andy Chow said.

Save Ohio Parks Organizer Roxanne Groff voiced concern about two of the five members of the OGLMC picked to represent the oil and gas industry. The other three consists of one representing the ODNR, one representing conservation groups, and one from the real estate/financial sector. Groff claimed that the two from the oil and gas would have disproportionate control on decisions that could lead to problems.

“There was an accident in Belmont County near Barnesville where an oil and gas waste brine truck, which was carrying toxic radioactive waste overturned…in a stream that feeds a reservoir and they had to close half the reservoir cause it was a public water system,” Groff said.

The spill Groff referred to took place in 2016 when a brine truck spilled 5,000 gallons of brine which closed a reservoir for about two months. Water samples showed radium levels detected at the time of the spill were below levels established for primary drinking water standards of finished water but were 10 times higher than background levels in the area.

Information on the land parcel nominations and OGLMC can be found on the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ website at ohiodnr.gov. Information about hydraulic fracturing can be found on the United State Geological Surveys website usgs.gov and on the Environmental Protection Agency’s website, EPA.gov.

To learn more about Save the Parks Ohio visit: saveOHIOparks.org.