Broadview Heights drilling ban overturned
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
The Plain Dealer reports that a Cuyahoga County judge has ruled against a voter-approved ban that would prohibit oil and natural gas companies from drilling wells.
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Michael K. Astrab struck down a ruling that banned oil and gas companies from drilling in Broadview Heights. Astrab said that only the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has the authority to make decisions about oil and gas well permits, locations, spacing and regulations.
In July 2014, Bass Energy Co. Inc. of Fairlawn and Ohio Valley Energy of Austintown sued the city of Broadview Heights. The companies challenged Broadview Heights’ Community Bill of Rights, which was approved in November 2012, because of its ban on drilling. Now that the ban has been overturned, Bass and Ohio Valley can both drill new wells.
Via: The Plain Dealer > Judge shoots down Broadview Heights ban on future oil and gas wells
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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.