Anti-fracking amendment approved by Youngstown City Council
Friday, August 28, 2015
In Youngstown, an anti-fracking charter amendment may appear on this year’s November ballot. This would be the fifth time that the issue has been on the ballot.
WKBN reports that the Youngstown City Council approved the measure Aug. 24, but it must be passed by Mahoning County Board of Elections. FrackFree Mahoning Valley has failed four times to ban oil and gas drilling within city limits.
On Aug. 13, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted ruled that a charter amendment question to ban fracking within city limits will not appear on the November ballot. The communities asking for the vote were Athens, Fulton and Medina counties.
Via: WKBN > Youngstown council approves anti-fracking measure for ballot
Related:
- Ballot question to ban fracking within city limits struck down by Ohio Secretary of State Aug. 20, 2015
- If enough signatures are collected, anti-fracking proposal could make it to Youngstown ballot July 13, 2015
- Company seeks ‘limited injections’ at Coitsville well March 5, 2015
- Youngstown Anti-fracking Amendment Rejected May 8, 2013
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.