Save Ohio Parks demands Gov. Mike DeWine veto law expanding frack leases and declaring nuclear energy "green"

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- It's déjà vu all over again for state park lovers and protectors.

In 2022, during the Christmas lame duck session, Ohio lawmakers stuffed a simple poultry bill with unrelated amendments, morphing it into a law declaring natural gas "green energy" and requiring state parks and public lands to be fracked.

There was no public discussion.

During this year's lame duck session, legislators similarly stuffed bill H.B. 308. It declares nuclear energy "green" and extends fracking leases under state parks and public lands as long as eight years.

This time, Save Ohio Parks and a coalition of Ohio environmental organizations are ready. They're promoting a letter-writing campaign demanding Gov. Mike DeWine veto the surprise law. As of press time, more than 610 people had submitted letters asking DeWine to veto the bill.

DeWine has 10 days excluding Sundays to sign or veto a bill after it's delivered to his desk. At press time, it had not landed there yet. The letter campaign can be accessed at bit.ly/veto308.

Last week, Ohio's Oil and Gas Land Management Commission (OGLMC), an un-elected group appointed by DeWine, approved two nominations to frack more of Salt Fork State Park. It also selected Gulfport Appalachia to frack Egypt Valley Wildlife Area.

Gulfport's parent company has paid more than $3.7 million for pollution at its other Ohio gas and oil operations. Its bid paperwork also shows lapsed insurance.

Other drillers selected to frack Ohio public lands this year include Infinity Natural Resources, selected to frack two parcels at Salt Fork, and Encino Acquisition Partners, slated to frack Valley Run and Zepernick Wildlife Areas. EOG Resources will frack Keen Wildlife Area and numerous Ohio Department of Transportation rights-of-way will also be fracked.

"Our lawmakers are turning Ohio into an industrial colony for out-of-state corporations and ruining our beautiful natural spaces for short-term oil and gas revenue," said Cathy Cowan Becker, board president at Save Ohio Parks. "This must stop. We don't need the energy here. The United States is already the largest exporter of methane (natural) gas in the world."

While awaiting tardy commissioner Michael Wise, an oil and gas attorney for McDonald Hopkins, at the Dec. 9 OGLMC commission meeting, Save Ohio Parks volunteers Loraine McCosker,  Jenny Morgan and Sunrise Athens from Ohio University told seated commissioners to protect our parks.

Once the meeting began, commissioners failed to discuss the nine criteria mandated in Ohio Revised Code to be considered before deciding to award a fracking lease. They took just 15 minutes to rubberstamp even more fracking.

"Ohio's natural resources are being mismanaged by lawmakers and state officials," said Cowan Becker. "Even though Ohio is in a severe drought, hundreds of millions of gallons of fresh water from our lakes, creeks and streams are being sold to oil and gas companies to use in their drilling operations at a fraction of the price other states charge."

Save Ohio Parks outlines reasons DeWine should veto HB 308:

• Ohio Department of Natural Resources does a poor job of monitoring the gas and oil industry. Research by Save Ohio Parks and analysis by FracTracker Alliance revealed 1,500 reported gas and oil related "incidents" in Ohio over six years, including explosions and contamination of soil and water from spills. The data contradicts statements by an industry spokesman who claimed in media that the industry is safe and virtually accident-free
• Gas and oil production accidents and waste cleanups are apt to increase as fracking is expanded, and costs may be foisted upon taxpayers.
• National and international drilling companies exploit Ohio for investor profit.
• Ohio loses precious fresh water to fracking as the world heats up and droughts increase. Fracking operations use up to 40 million gallons fresh water per fracked well.
• Fracking destroys our fresh water, making it undrinkable forever. After gas, oil and water are separated, fracking wastewater, which the industry calls "produced water," is radioactive and contaminated by unregulated chemicals.
• ODNR's wastewater management is lax and dangerous. Seven Class II injection wells have been closed in Ohio since the frack boom began, the last two near Athens, Ohio, after 12 years of citizen complaints. The toxic wastewater leaked and migrated into wells, threatening drinking local water supplies and aquifers.
• Radioactive nuclear and oil and gas waste threatens Ohioans' health. One billion gallons of radioactive oil and gas wastewater is injected deep underground in Ohio annually. Radium can be found in oil and gas waste streams and in nuclear waste, which is certainly not "green." Elevated levels of radium cause bone-seeking cancers.

 "Of extreme concern to us is ODNR's lax regulation of the gas and oil industry and its dangerous management of radioactive gas and oil waste," said Leatra Harper of Freshwater Accountability Project of Grand Rapids, Ohio. Her group has been working to protect Ohio's fresh water for a decade.

"Too much of Ohio's fresh water has been removed from the system already. With climate change we will lose even more water, yet Ohio is considered a climate change haven," she added. "Gas and oil production clearly ruins the quantity and quality of fresh water in Ohio."

"If we are to survive on a livable planet and drink clean water, we need to focus much more attention on water quality and preservation of our water supply," said Cowan Becker. "Ohio needs policy and law that rapidly phases out fossil fuels, ramps up clean, reliable energy, and protects Ohioans from cancers and environmental harms. We can begin protecting our health and natural spaces by banning fracking under our beloved state parks and public lands."

For more information about fracking Ohio's public lands, visit SaveOhioParks.org. For information on protecting Ohio's fresh water, visit FWAP.org.

Contact DeWine directly at his online contact form at governor.ohio.gov/contact.     

Contact: Melinda Zemper

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (513) 706-3737

SOURCE Save Ohio Parks