Ohio Awards Fracking Bids for State Parks Amid Protests
The decision to allow fracking under Ohio's state parks and wildlife areas faces backlash, legal challenges, and an investigation into fraudulent support.
- An Ohio commission has awarded bids to several oil and gas companies to frack for oil and gas under state parks and wildlife areas, sparking widespread protests and legal challenges.
- The awarded leases specify that no surface areas of the parks will be disturbed, as the drilling will occur underground with well pads located offsite.
- Opponents argue the commission's decision prioritizes corporate interests over environmental protection and lacks transparency, with no public hearings on the bids and the bidding entities remaining anonymous until after the selection.
- The Ohio Attorney General's office is investigating potentially fraudulent letters sent in support of fracking, following a report that over a hundred residents' names were used without their knowledge.
- Environmental groups have sued over the state law allowing fracking under state parks and the commission's decision to open bids, but a recent lawsuit was dismissed by a judge.
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