YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - A few months ago it was supposed to save our local economy. Now today, a group of people believe it will destroy our environment.
Concerned residents packed the basement of the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Youngstown to talk fracking. The meeting was held by a local group who calls themselves Frack-Free Mahoning.
A Youngstown State University geologist and local lawmakers gave presentations on the fracking process and answered questions about it.
They're concerned it's ruining the environment. "I think if you base it on evidence from around the country and around the world, yes, I think their concerns are valid. Aquifers were contaminated in Wyoming; people have had problems with air pollution as well," says YSU Geology professor Ray Beiersdorfer.
Liberty Township Trustee Jodi Stoyak says they have no control over drilling in their own backyards. "Residents call and say they smell something weird in their water. We do have a lot of residents who rely on well water and some of these wells have been placed too close to people who rely on well water," Stoyak said.
Ohio State Representative Bob Hagan says the drilling has to be done in a safe way or not done at all. He says the state needs to act on evidence that injection wells could be causing earthquakes.
"I will introduce a fracking caucus of legislators who are very concerned about protecting the environment, doing this in safe way. Making sure if there's money to be made, people are not getting ripped off, that there is a landowners bill of rights. All these issues have to be talked about in public hearings," Hagan said.
Hagan says he's not sure when those hearings would begin.
