Energy In Depth's Mike reports on the press conference last Friday announcing the Mahoning Valley Coalition for Job Growth and Investment, a group aimed at educating the public on the negative consequences of the proposed oil and gas ban in Youngstown:

"On Friday, the Mahoning Valley Coalition for Growth and Investment held a joint press conference at the Youngstown – Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce to announce that it will fight an ill advised charter amendment to ban oil and gas development in Youngstown.  The group formed in order to educate the public on the real consequences of the proposed ban as well as important facts about the oil and gas industry. The new coalition features members from labor, business, educational and religious communities.

In addition to trying to ban oil and gas development, the proposed amendment contains serious loopholes, which may even unintentionally impact longtime employers in the Mahoning Valley. For example, the “Community Bill of Rights” is quite misleading.  It promises the people the right to clean water, clean air  and peaceful enjoyment of home, and the bill gives “inalienable” rights to ecosystems like streams, wetlands and rivers.  In reality, all of these measures are less about granting rights to non-humans and more about restricting industries that are the backbone of Youngstown, including the new V&M Star plant and many of the manufacturing plants in the city.  And if a new business wants to establish roots in Youngstown, well — it better not do it anywhere near what could possibly be classified as even a stream.

For an area that is on the cusp of an economic renaissance, the proposed amendment could certainly threaten Youngstown’s new found prosperity.  To add insult to injury, the proposed charter amendment — by attempting to establish new rules at the city level — fails to recognize that the oil and gas industry is actually exclusively regulated by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. That means the proposed amendment would either open the door to a patchwork of regulatory measures (there’s a reason each city doesn’t issue its own driver’s license, to give you an idea of why that’s a problem), or — more likely — be superseded by state laws anyway.

In short, this amendment is largely a messaging exercise to publicly demonize oil and gas development, although it’s worth noting that the measure would negatively affect other businesses in the area.

Members of the Mahoning Valley Coalition for Job Growth and Investment

The members of the coalition are:"

READ THE REST: http://www.eidohio.org/coalition-for-job-growth-investment/