Media Advisory

Eco Groups call for stronger regulation of shale gas industry

OEC and partner organizations exert pressure on ODNR as first deep-shale gas well is drilled in Geauga County

WHAT: Press Event calling for oil and gas regulatory improvements and advancements that are more protective of air, land, and water.

WHO:

• Ohio Environmental Council Director of Legal Affairs, Trent Dougherty
• Buckeye Forest Council Fracking Coordinator, Ellie Rauh
• Network for Oil & Gas Accountability and Protection Vice President, Ron Prosek

WHEN: 2 p.m. on Thursday, January 5, 2012

WHERE: Middlefield Library, 16167 East High Street, Middlefield, OH 44062

Immediately following the meeting (for visuals), a caravan will head to Chickagami Park, 17957 Tavern Road (Route 168), Parkman, Ohio 44021, which is on the shores of the Grand River, within two miles of the fracking well site.

Parkman, OH - Ohio Environmental Council and partner organizations will gather to call attention to the first deep-shale gas well to use horizontal hydraulic fracturing ('fracking') in Geauga County, Ohio - on the headwaters of the Grand River.

The Grand River is a wild and scenic river, home to steelhead trout and a critical source of water for Lake Erie. However, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' (ODNR) series of new drilling rules keep this watershed and others under great risk.

Reporters are invited to join this special briefing wherein Ohio Environmental Council and other conservation organizations will:

• highlight ways in which industry is outperforming ODNR rules, leading many to question whether industry will backslide once regulations are in place;
• question the assumption that Ohio's oil and gas regulations are some of the strongest in the country (as compared to other states);
• expose the radioactive waste loophole in the current regulations; and
• outline ways in which ODNR should strengthen rules to better protect the health of all Ohioans.

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The mission of the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) is to secure healthy air, land, and water for all who call Ohio home. The OEC is Ohio's leading advocate for fresh air, clean water, and sustainable land use. The OEC has a 40-year history of innovation, pragmatism, and success. Using legislative initiatives, legal action, scientific principles, and statewide partnerships, the OEC secures a healthier environment for Ohio's families and communities.