By Steve Bennish, Staff Writer11:25 PM Thursday, December 8, 2011
An investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has raised alarm among critics of the oil and natural gas exploration boom getting under way in Ohio.
The federal agency said Thursday for the first time that fracking, a technique that can be used to extract deep deposits of oil and gas, may be to blame for groundwater pollution in Wyoming.
Residents in Pavillion, Wyo., initiated the investigation with complaints in 2008 that well water reeked of chemicals. Health officials advised them not to drink the water after the EPA found hydrocarbons in wells.
Natural gas exploration in Ohio is getting off the ground to the excitement of Gov. John Kasich, who said earlier this year he was “simply thrilled” by a report on natural gas explorations.
The Oklahoma City-based company Chesapeake Energy told shareholders it had leased 1.25 million acres to get at the deep Ohio Utica Shale formation.
Chesapeake estimated it could be worth up to $20 billion to the company. Other major companies are also exploring the Utica, believed to underlie the eastern three-quarters of the state.
Andy Ware, deputy director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said Ohio officials understand that state officials in Wyoming are disputing the report. “As far as Ohio, we believe we have the best drilling regulations in the country. We are confident we will protect our groundwater here in Ohio,” he said.
But Peggy Koebernick of Yellow Springs, a member of the No Frack group, said the EPA finding could make residents reconsider signing leases for gas exploration. “It could have an impact,” she said. “It could make fracking more controversial, while it’s now touted by the industry as being safe. We need more thorough investigation and a moratorium.”