As part of the administrative approval process, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources will hold a public hearing about oil and gas extraction from our public lands. The hearing will be Monday, April 10, at 10 a.m. at the ODNR headquarters, Building E Assembly Center, 2045 Morse Road, Columbus, OH -- and we need people to testify in person or send in a written comment.
In signing HB 507 into law, Gov. Mike DeWine stated that oil and gas companies could set up near state parks and conduct horizontal drilling for mineral rights under our public lands; his administration would not allow surface impacts on our public lands. Surface impacts refer to things like frack well pads, pipelines, access roads, temporary or permanent waste water pits, timber removal, and water withdrawals -- none of which we want on our state lands.
Yet, the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission has drafted a lease form instructing oil and gas companies that want surface impacts, to create a separate agreement with the agency that manages public land to allow it. Critically, this agreement would be made with no public notification or comment.
To date, the public has been given only one opportunity to comment on the proposed draft rule and lease form that will oversee leasing of our public lands to oil and gas companies for extraction. This is unacceptable. If any surface impacts are being planned or proposed on Ohio’s public land, that needs to be part of the application to the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission, so the public will be notified and given a chance to comment. |
