Are Fracking Dangers Threatening to Invade a State Park Near You?

Imagine, if you will, you head out to enjoy a day in the park. Beautiful old stand hardwood trees are all around you in the picnic area. A gentle breeze is blowing. Birds are flying overhead. It's all very beautiful, but something is off. The peaceful beauty of the park is gone, sold to the highest bidder by your state's elected officials.

The sound of fracking rigs hums constantly in the background. Semi's chug in and out every few minutes. Occasionally the breeze brings the overpowering stench of chemicals and burning diesel fuel from the frac trucks. You give up on enjoying the day in one of Ohio's formerly pristine parks and head for your car only to notice it is covered in gritty silica sand dust.

A report in the Columbus Dispatch, State catalogs shale holdings in parks, forests, explains that some of Ohio's state employees have been assigned the job of sifting through Tier 1 eastern ohio property records to find public lands ripe for frackers to consume. They have even prepared maps with some prime locations marked for potential drilling sites.

Five state forests are included in the Tier 1 marked sites:

1. Beaver Creek
2. Fernwood
3. Harrison
4. Sunfish Creek
5. Yellow Creek

According to the report in the Dispatch, Tier 2 reviews are slated begin next.

So, not only is the state giving away public lands against the will of the public, they are using public tax dollars to pay state employees to do the oil & gas company's research work for them.