Ohio legislature passes bill to allow state agencies to lease land to develop oil and gas
Wednesday, December 28, 2022
The Ohio legislature passed a bill that qualifies natural gas as green energy and allows state agencies to lease land to develop oil and gas, according to Natural Gas Intelligence. The bill awaits a signature from Republican Gov. Mike DeWine for final approval.
State agencies are not automatically required to lease land for oil and gas exploration and production activities under current Ohio law.
“Ohio’s had the law on the books that you’re able to lease state lands for over a decade, and one of the things that was supposed to happen during this time period was the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission was to provide a rule framework for that to happen,” Ohio Oil and Gas Association President Rob Brundrett told Natural Gas Intelligence.
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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.