Protests surround injection well site after talks of putting it back in operation
Saturday, July 16, 2016
A shut down injection well in northeast Ohio may be back in operation.
This possibility brought out protesters to the site in Coitsville Township, Mahoning County, reports. Injection wells have been thought to trigger small earthquakes near well sites. In 2011, a series of earthquakes was detected near the Northstar #1 well in Youngstown, so Ohio Gov. John Kasich ordered a moratorium on injection wells within a five mile radius.
Injection wells dispose of contaminated wastewater from oil and gas drilling. According to the source, there are five injection wells in Mahoning County and 17 in Trumbull County.
Read more: The Business Journal > Injection Well May Resume Operations, Protesters Warn
More about injection wells:
- Ohio injected drilling waste count rises from earlier count – May 28, 2016
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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.