Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by bo boboski on February 18, 2014 at 12:27pm

I wonder what side Hagan & Antonio would be on if they had property with mineral rights to lease  in eastern Ohio?

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Permalink Reply by Mark McGrail on February 18, 2014 at 12:41pm

Hagan has been a vocal critic of shale development in Ohio.He is also one of the most left of center legislators in Columbus which puts him in the same company as the extreme anti shale folks.

Allowing extraction of oil and gas from shale under state lands is a good idea for the people of Ohio, You know for sure that all the lefties including Mr. Hagan will be out in force to oppose this.

It makes sense to prepare to deal with their objections.

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Permalink Reply by T. Alexander on February 18, 2014 at 9:56pm

I wonder what side you'd be on if you had no land that oil companies were interested in but your water table was put at risk by poor drilling practices or improper disposal of wastewater.

The issue really isn't whether or not you are pro or anti fracking--there's a responsible moderate position on that--it's whether or not you want a regulatory agency working hand in hand with an industry it is supposed to oversee on behalf of the broader public.  Regulators should not be politicking...that's the job of elected officials, not agencies charged with protecting our natural resources.

I mean, we all want to get rich, but c'mon, are we so blind we don't see how ridiculous that is?

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Permalink Reply by paleface on February 19, 2014 at 1:11am

 If they changed the name to Crackin and put Ecstasy in the fracturing solution the anties would like it.

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Permalink Reply by Mark McGrail on February 19, 2014 at 2:42am

T. Alexander,

The idea that the water table is at risk is a fallacy. There have been over 50,000 wells drilled using the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. No instances of permanent harm to the water table anywhere. Instances of temporary problems are few. In PA after 5,000 wells had been drilled there were 106 complaints. Most of those were unrelated to shale development and the rest were temporary in nature.  The experience in Ohio so far is better, no instances of water table disruption.

It's outrageous to claim that the regulatory  is ."...working hand in hand with an industry (oil and gas)". In fact I have found quite the oposite in my dealings with the ODNR of Ohio. If you have proof of this collusion then show it. Otherwise it's untrue.

Something most people do not understand is the mission of the ODNR. Not only is it charged with the protection of our natural resources it is also meant to promote the responsible development of the resources for the benefit of the citizens of our state.  As such it is not unreasonable for the folks at the ODNR to be involved in a little " politicking" in order to fulfill the second part of their mission (development of the natural resources of the state).

So, no I don't see this situation as ridiculous. In fact, what I perceive as ridiculous are the uniformed and irresponsible  actions of politicians such as Hagan and Antonio. 

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Permalink Reply by T. Alexander on February 19, 2014 at 6:08am

I appreciate you taking my words out of context.  Where did I say any water table had been compromised?  I mentioned threats to the water table due to "poor drilling practices."  Thanks to proper regulatory controls, this has been minimized.  You cleverly ignored the issue of wastewater and waste disposal...are you saying this has not already been an issue here and elsewhere?  I want regulatory agencies that are watchdogs, not lapdogs, and certainly not writing lengthy memos such as the one the Columbus Dispatch recently unearthed from ODNR that advocated enlisting the help of the O&G industry in a marketing campaign to discredit environmental groups.  This is simply not the kind of cozy arrangement I want to see our regulatory agencies engaged in.  It smacks of cronyism and inside deals, and if you don't see that, you are the one who is naive. 

My family has many acres under lease.  We are looking forward to the results of possible wells.  But we are not blinded by the greed; we want our land and air and water to remain unspoiled and we want to trust the non-profit oriented public agencies charged to protect it rather than depend on the profit-oriented to do so. 

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Permalink Reply by Keith A Williams on February 19, 2014 at 10:14am

T Alexander,

Mark used your words and then you say he used them out of context! NO!

The ODNR should be making plans to stop the acts of Hagan. I bet the anti's have had the same meeting and had the same talking point discussions about how to bring down the ODNR.

They have already tried to get the Federal EPA to take over the state's responsibility.

This whole thing is just the anti's trying to get some leverage.

IMHO

Keith

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Permalink Reply by patrick on February 18, 2014 at 2:16pm

It  might be that we have an election this year that makes this cad tick

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Permalink Reply by Mark McGrail on February 18, 2014 at 4:49pm

patrick,

There is indeed an election this fall. However, Mr Hagan is term limited and cannot seek re-election.

His wife will attempt to take the seat, she is the one to watch

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Permalink Reply by patrick on February 19, 2014 at 3:29am

And the difference is?

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Permalink Reply by Mark McGrail on February 19, 2014 at 3:52am

patrick,

None, of course.

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Permalink Reply by 0i7okn54zwbdo on February 19, 2014 at 3:31pm

Hagen is a buffoon of the highest order.  If the anti crowd wants credibility they should try a little harder to find a better representative for their cause.  

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