According to the Youngstown Vindicator, an anti-fracking charter-amendment, on the ballot Wednesday, was rejected by voters 57 percent to 43 percent.

The amendment, known as the “Community Bill of Rights,” would have prohibited fracking inside city limits.

The proposal was put on the ballot in February by the Youngstown City Council after an anti-fracking group called Frackfree Mahoning Valley collected the required number of signatures.

Even if the amendment had passed, there’s still the question about enforcement.

Read it:

“The state Legislature approved laws nine years ago to take over control of gas and oil drilling from local governments.

Ohio Department of Natural Resources officials have repeatedly said the state has complete oversight when it comes to fracking, and nothing done by a community can change that.”

Injection wells

Though the anti-fracking movement in Youngstown cites many issues, one issue really sparked the movement: the waste-water injection well that caused 12 earthquakes, the largest, a magnitude 4.0, on New Year’s Eve 2011.

Injection wells are used to dispose of waste water created by the fracking process.

After the incident, ODNR placed an indefinite suspension on the well, owned by D&L Energy Group, and other injection wells within a seven-mile radius.

In city limits?

In October 2012, Youngstown City Council approved legislation to allow leasing of city-owned land for gas and oil drilling.

» Via: The Youngstown Vindicator› Anti-fracking charter amendment soundly defeated in Youngstown