Ohio Governor Signs Executive Order Prohibiting Oil and Gas Drilling in Lake Erie

Ohio Governor Signs Executive Order Prohibiting Oil and Gas Drilling in Lake Erie by EcoWatch, June 11 2012
Ohioans are hoping the order will set a strong precedent as more of the state’s vital habitats and water supplies are threatened by the possibility of fracking. “Today, Governor Kasich stepped forward to protect Lake Erie from the perils of gas drilling,” said Julian Boggs, advocate for Environment Ohio. “Now we need a moratorium on fracking to protect the rest of Ohio.” In 2002, Environment Ohio research uncovered a series of spills and leaks—nearly one per month over a four year period—from gas drilling operations on the Canadian side of Lake Erie. Additionally, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has been under the gun as recent research found high levels of alpha particles, arsenic, barium, toluene and other contaminants in fracking wastewater.