Ohio family battles pipeline company to keep preserved farmland intact
Thursday, December 8, 2022
The Bailey family has continued to battle Columbia Gas of Ohio, Inc. in court, opposing the construction of a natural gas pipeline across their preserved farmland in Union County, Ohio, according to Farm and Dairy.
Ohio’s Third District Court of Appeals heard oral arguments for two linked cases, Columbia Gas of Ohio, Inc. v. Patrick E. Bailey, et al. and Columbia Gas of Ohio, Inc. v. Don Bailey Jr., et al. on Nov. 22. The linked cases before the court appeal a Union County Common Pleas Court ruling in April that dismissed Columbia Gas’s request to use eminent domain for pipeline construction.
The Bailey family is asking the appeals court to uphold the lower court’s dismissal of the eminent domain request, based on inconsistencies in the language used in documents provided to the lower court and those reviewed by the Ohio Power Siting Board — the same reasoning that led to the lower court’s decision in April.
Learn more: Farm and Dairy > Ohio family continues to fight pipeline construction on their farmland
Leave a Comment
Marcellus & Utica Shale Well Map
Additional Shale Maps
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.