It is time we took hydraulic fracturing seriously. I am tired of arguing with people who misunderstand this issue. Hydraulic fracturing is another example of large coal companies taking advantage of Appalachia. The job growth and higher land value is no reason to suffer a ruined environment and the chronic problems of corrupt lobbyists.
When people learn more about hydraulic fracturing, they learn that simple vertical injections do not use many added chemicals. However, advocates of hydraulic fracturing are scared to talk about horizontal wells. Horizontal wells are one of the greatest threats to our environment, but the industry insists on creating them. The prevalent horizontal wells in Pennsylvania harvest Marcellus shale. The water there was tested and a sample had levels of radium 3,609 times higher than federal safety limits, according to ohiocitizen.org. Remember that tons of waste water are injected into the ground in Ohio every year. The injection of waste water directly relates to earthquakes, including the earthquakes in Youngstown, Ohio in 2011.
Advocates of hydraulic fracturing point to economic growth, but consider this NPR story from December 2011: “EPA Connects 'Fracking' to Water Contamination.” The story details the town Pavilion, on the Wind River Indian Reservation. When the EPA tested the water, they found benzene (carcinogenic) at unsafe levels as well as other chemicals. Keep in mind, when the EPA first warned residents away from drinking the water in 2009 the fracking company, Encana, began selling water to households at a rate of $1,500 a month. It is not true that fracking helps the economy if the companies can abuse citizens like that.
Issue 7 is a city ordinance in Athens that will prevent hydraulic fracturing inside city limits. It will be critical in preventing not only fracturing but also the dumping of waste water in our city. The ordinance was passed by an overwhelming 78 percent majority. We need regulation on dangerous industries to protect ourselves from corporations. In Athens, November 28, 2012, over 100 protesters disrupted an “informational open house” put on by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Imagine the many hundreds who believed in the cause but could not make it out to the unplanned protest that day. The protesters were thrown out and condemned by oil advocates. ODNR still claims to be a strict regulatory agency, despite a track record of incompetence. The Ginsburg well in Athens County has a history of violations, and has been ordered repeatedly by the ODNR to “plug and abandon.” The well continues to function despite the efforts of protesters.
The lesson to learn here is that protesting is not enough. Do your part to spread the word about fracturing, but also do more. Write letters to the ODNR, lessen your dependence on fossil fuels, and use your vote. By voting in local and national elections, we can steer our country toward a sustainable future.
Joshua Baron is a student at Ohio University.
