APNewsBreak: Ohio AG seeks tougher drilling laws

By JULIE CARR SMYTH 
Associated Press

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Ohio's top law enforcer is seeking tougher environmental sanctions on polluters in the oil and gas industry and full disclosure of the chemicals used in the drilling technique called fracking.

In an Associated Press interview Wednesday, Attorney General Mike DeWine further called for his office or another state agency to be empowered to help landowners with complaints about lease agreements for drilling.

He said a recent legal review by his staff revealed "Ohio's laws simply are not adequate" in the three areas.

DeWine said civil penalties in the state should be raised from a maximum of $20,000 for the duration of a violation to $10,000 a day. That would bring fines in line with states such as Pennsylvania, Colorado and Texas.

He says other states also require chemicals be disclosed.

FRACKING, FAIRNESS AND THE FUTURE

Excerpts:

"In New York, a memo from the New York Department of Transportation revealed that “Pavement structural damage done by the passage of a single large truck is equivalent to that done by about 9,000 automobiles.”xi Areas with heavy drilling are expecting 1.5 million heavy truck trips annually and could see an increase in peak hour trips by 36,000 trips per hour. A similar impact can be expected in Ohio. This type of traffic—on rural roads that aren’t designed for such loads— will quickly result in expensive maintenance costs In New York, a memo from the New York Department of Transportation revealed that “Pavement structural damage done by the passage of a single large truck is equivalent to that done by about 9,000 automobiles.”xi Areas with heavy drilling are expecting 1.5 million heavy truck trips annually and could see an increase in peak hour trips by 36,000 trips per hour. A similar impact can be expected in Ohio. This type of traffic—on rural roads that aren’tdesigned for such loads— will quickly result in expensive maintenance costs."

"The increased demand for housing has driven up rent in rural areas, which, in turn, has displaced many long-time residents. Areas that saw few homeless people have experienced a sudden increase in family homelessness and in families doubling or tripling up in their living quartersThe increased demand for housing has driven up rent in rural areas, which, in turn, has displaced many long-time residents. Areas that saw few homeless people have experienced a sudden increase in family homelessness and in families doubling or tripling up in their living quarters."

"In addition to being associated with possible health consequences, hydraulic fracturing is connected to multiple environmental concerns, such as increased air pollution and a probable contamination of local water supplies."

Read more at: http://innovationohio.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Fracking-Fairness-and-the-Future-Full-Report.pdf

Ground Water Baseline Testing for New Oil and Gas Activities

Baseline Testing of Ground Water

• Perform Testing of water wells before oil and gas activity occurs
• Determine quality of ground water
• Identify chemicals currently in the ground water source prior to horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing of shale gas plays

Chemicals in Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids

• Surfactants:

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Warren set to keep brine treatment

WARREN - The existing permit ends today for the Warren Water Pollution Control Facility to dispose of treated brine water in the Mahoning River. Until hearings are held on new regulations, however, the practice is expected to continue.

As it stands, that's a temporary reprieve for Director Tom Angelo and at least one city business associated with the practice, Patriot Water Treatment.

Patriot pretreats the wastewater trucked into the city from natural gas drilling sites to remove heavy metals, bromide and other contaminants. That brine water is then sent into Warren's sewer to the city plant before it is discharged into the Mahoning River.

Last year, Ohio EPA informed Warren it would not reauthorize this activity and that the city's discharge of brine wastewater would end with its existing permit effective today.

A draft permit in place prohibits the city from accepting, treating and discharging brine wastewater from shale gas drilling, exploration or production.

However, Angelo explained Monday that when a new permit is not yet in effect, a facility may continue to operate under the terms of the existing permit, and Warren will continue to receive treated brine water from Patriot until the issue is settled.

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Allow Ohio to recall elected state officials

Petition at: http://signon.org/sign/allow-ohio-to-recall?source=mo&id=35273-4403145-_lQKoTx

Ohio citizens should have a way to remove elected officials whom they are not satisfied with. Ohio's constitution should be amended to give voters that right.

Ohio should have an amendment to our state constitution (similar to the one Wisconsin is using on Governor Scott Walker) that would allow us to remove an elected official. The principle underlying the recall of public officers has been defined as an effective speedy remedy to remove an official who is not giving satisfaction to the public and whom the electors do not want to remain in office, regardless of whether he is discharging his full duty to the best of his ability and as his conscience dictates.” 

Read more: http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/sen-kathleen-vinehout-wisconsin-s-recall-law-exists-to-assure/article_d292ea6c-1e5f-5042-b2da-fd55c97eeb2a.html#ixzz1kDOdH2So 

National groups getting involved in Le Roy cluster case

National environmental and health groups are beating a path to LeRoy, poking into the Genesee County community's startling cluster of teenage students with troubling neurological symptoms.

Groups led by environmental-activist icons Erin Brockovich and Lois Gibbs have been talking with parents and gathering background. A chapter of the Sierra Club has been digging into the LeRoy school's unusual connection with natural gas drilling. The Healthy Schools Network, Empire State Consumer Project and others are involved.

Leaders of these groups say authorities in New York may have acted too hastily in ruling out environmental contaminants, infectious illnesses or vaccinations as possible causes of the cluster, which now includes as many as 15 LeRoy Junior-Senior High School students who exhibit varying degrees of involuntary twitches and verbal outbursts not unlike those associated with Tourette's syndrome. Some report fainting spells and seizures, too.

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DeWine: Drilling laws ‘not adequate’

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine thinks Ohio’s natural-gas and oil drilling laws are “not adequate” compared with other states.

“I think Gov. [John] Kasich has made the point very correctly that fracking can be very good for our economy,” DeWine told The Vindicator on Tuesday. “We want to encourage growth and jobs, but at the same time, we have to assure the public that the protections are in place.”

DeWine said through investigation and research, he has come to three conclusions regarding Ohio’s laws: The state is not stringent enough on penalizing violations, the attorney general’s office has no jurisdiction to help landowners who may have been swindled by landmen, and there is a need for stronger chemical disclosure regulations.

“If there is a problem later on health officials and first responders need to have an understanding what is in there,” he said. “It just makes common sense.”

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