Ohio Department of Natural Resources Recommendations for Well Water Testing Before Gas and Oil Drilling

I apologize for this post's long title. I couldn't decide which part should be left out to make it shorter.

ODNR has released information for concerned Ohio residents regarding the proper procedure for testing well water.

Basically, they ask residents to foot the bill to have their water tested before drilling begins (if they are lucky enough to have advance notice of drilling or fracking brine dumping in their area), only by OEPA certified water testing labs the ODNR approves, and then pay again after drilling or dumping to have that same lab test the well water again.

Here is why it has to be labs they specify (direct quote from ODNR document)... "Samples should be submitted to an Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) certified drinking water laboratory. The laboratory should be certified for each chemical parameter to be tested. Without attention to these details, water analyses will be of little or no value in an oil and gas water contamination investigation or a legal proceeding."

I'm not arguing the wisdom of having your water tested before and after drilling or dumping, assuming you are forewarned. I just think it's a little disappointing that the very agencies charged with protecting the public good are telling residents not only, that they are on their own as far as water testing, but also if the residents don't send their cash to the lab the governmental agencies choose they will have very little legal recourse after their water has been contaminated.

Anyway, I invite you to check out the document, and, if your interpretation of the document varies from my own interpretation, you are welcome to stop back and leave a comment voicing your thoughts on the document, or anything about this topic.