Protesters in the Valley joined 16 states and the District of Columbia in a national rally against fracking.

Groups rallied at fracking sites in Niles, New Castle and Vienna. They also gathered at Federal Square in downtown Youngstown.

Frackfree Mahoning Valley said safe injection of fracking waste into our earth is a fairy tale. Members said the oil and gas industry use poor counties like Mahoning and Trumbull as dumping grounds.

21 New spoke to Kathleen Berry, a retired nurse, who said the American Nurses Association asked for a halt to fracking in 2012 due to public health concerns that still exist.

“We are treated as though we dont know what we are taking about, but we nurses have been taking care of people who have been harmed for many years,” said Berry.

Frack Free Mahoning Valley's main focus now is to stop an injection well near the Vienna Airport from obtaining a permit to accept waste water.