Hydraulic Fracturing

(24 Feb 2011 — League Leaders Update) LWVO sends letter to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources

State League President, Meg Flack, sent a letter to the Director of the Ohio Department of Natural Reources, David Mustine, conveying the League’s position — for the significant strengthening of appropriate regulation, oversight, inspection, and penalties associated with the development of fossil fuel resources. It expressed concern for the potential for serious environmental damage from extraction of natural gas by hydraulic fracturing (also called fracking) and expressed support for a one-year moratorium on the issuance of new permits (In http://www.lwvohio.org/assets/attachments/file/04-24-11%20LLU.pdf)

Seismologist Warns of More Quakes from Injection Well

The Vindicator reports that a seismologist investigating earthquakes in the Youngstown area has attributed them to an injection well used to dispose of wastewater from oil and gas drilling and said more will occur for at least a year. (Rotunda Insider 1/3/12), see http://www.vindy.com/news/2012/jan/03/count-on-more-valley-quakes-seismologist/

French Company Emerges as Previously Unnamed Partner in Joint Drilling Venture

French company Total SA reached a deal with Chesapeake Energy and Houston-based EnerVest in the acquisition of 619,000 acres spanning all or part of 10 counties in eastern Ohio. Total President Yves-Louis Darricarrere said that Total is confident in Chesapeake's capacity to manage the Utica shale operations in an environmentally conscious manner, the Steubenville Herald-Star reports. (Rotunda Insider 1/4/12), see http://www.hsconnect.com/page/content.detail/id/568557/French-firm-has-stake-in-shale-drilling.html?nav=5010

Oil, Gas Lease Filings Quadruple

The Canton Repository reports that the Stark County recorder's office saw more than four times the number of oil and gas leases processed in 2011 than the previous year. (Rotunda Insider for 1/9/12), see http://www.cantonrep.com/news/x735289224/Oil-gas-lease-filing-more-than-quadruples-in-2011

And in the New York Times for January 12, 2012

NY Gets 20,000 Comments on Its Gas Drilling Rules
see http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/12/nyregion/new-york-rules-on-hydrofracking-get-20000-comments.html?ref=nyregion