On July 7th Buckeye Environmental Network hosted a press conference to help bring attention to the issues we are facing. 

This press conference highlighted local production well owners who have had their businesses destroyed by migrating brine and find little to no support from the state.  Dr. David Jeffery of Marietta college expressed his concern over this issue. Ohio Representative  Tristan Rader states (1:07:40, "at this point, I don't know how else to put it, but either willful ignorance or complete incompetence at the state level when you are talking about what's going on. Clearly we are at the precipice of an emergency, right? Our economies down here are shutting down, water aquifers being threatened as we speak...it boggles my mind how we are not trusting the voices of the people who are experiencing these problems."

Here is a are some notable topics discussed. Please launch the link above to watch the full video. Lots of great information! 

Local Oil and Gas well owner Bob Wilson speaks of destroyed local business he worked his whole life to build: 

• Bob Wilson (19:25) states he owns around 170 oil and gas wells in the area, 50 of which have been impacted and destroyed by migrating brine. 

• He states his problems started in 2019 when Redbird began injecting

• "I get up and go to work every day and lose money," Bob Wilson due to impacted wells by migrating brine

Local Oil and Gas well owner Bob Lane speaks of his impacted wells and concerns for our drinking water:

• 43:28 Bob Lane talks about a hydrologist from New Mexico  who came up and tested brine water from one of his wells- he reports the hydrologist used a radiation detector and said "My lord whose running this state? The radiation level in that water is three times higher than you are allowed to transport on any highway in the United States of America. Do they have radiation placard on these trucks? Are the men suited up?"

• 41:42 Bob discusses the increasing pressure on wells due to migrating brine, "whats going to stop it from getting in wells that are drilled and covered up in Marietta by sidewalks and buildings and everything else that was never plugged right?... its enough to scare anybody who knows anything about the oil and gas business to death as far as your drinking water is concerned. And thats what concerns me more than anything else. I got two great grandchildren, now under the age of three years old, and every time I look in their face I think of this. What are are we leaving you?"

• "Anyone who couldn't get concerned about this, it doesn't seem civil to me."

• "I am wondering about people and government today that would sit by and let something like this happen and thats my biggest concern."

Dr David Jeffery highlights evidence showing radioactive toxic fracking waste is not staying in confining layers:

• Dr David Jeffery of Marietta college starts speaking at 47:50, "The business thats running down here with the injection wells, I couldn't imagine anything that is more clearly a failed business, a failed business concept."

• "The problem with these formations in southern Ohio have very low porosity and permeability"

• "The goal is to have all the fluids remain down here and not go anywhere else. They're toxic, they are radioactive. We do not want them anywhere near the surface."

• Below in an infographic Dr Jeffrey explains during the video. The diagram seeks to show naturally occurring fault lines, and how injected waste can migrate.