Recently, the City of Mansfield’s Law Director, John Spon, has made a string of misleading statements on Class II injection wells to the Mansfield News Journal as a part of his campaign to pass an anti oil and gas development “Bill of Rights” amendment to the city’s charter.  His statements not only miss facts, but they also hinder business and industry development that could come to Mansfield and bring much needed jobs to the region.

First, let’s get a background on Ohio injection wells.  Injection wells have been regulated by the U.S. EPA for nearly 40 years under the Safe Drinking Water Act.  In that time there have been over 144,000 Class II injection wells permitted and constructed in the United States.  Here in Ohio, our Class II Injection well program is regulated under the Ohio Department of Natural Resources after they received primacy from the U.S. EPA in 1985. The use of injection wells as a safe disposal means for produced water in Ohio was mandated in April 1985 with the passage of House Bill 501, a bipartisan bill that was signed into law by Governor Celeste.  Ohio has permitted 181 injection wells for disposal of produced water from oil and natural gas development.

The oil and gas industry isn’t the only industry that has used injection wells as a safe and well-regulated disposal means. Other sectors that rely on injection wells include: chemicals, manufacturing, food and agriculture, plastics and metal/steel among others.

According to EPA: “Injection [is] a safe and inexpensive option for the disposal of unwanted … industrial byproducts.”

Now, let’s find the truth behind Spon’s statements:

READ THE REST: http://www.eidohio.org/mansfield-law-director-misses-facts-on-injec...