On May 24, the Ohio’s State Assembly passed Senate Bill 315—one of
the worst fracking laws in the nation—by a 21-8 vote in the Senate and a
73-19 vote in the Ohio House that approves new regulations governing
hydraulic fracturing in the Utica and Marcellus shale formations running
under nearly half of the state. The shale gas provisions are part of a
larger energy bill that also addresses Ohio’s renewable energy portfolio
standard.
The bill heading to Gov. Kasich’s desk fails to reinvest in Ohio
communities, adequately protect Ohioans from the toxic impacts of the
fracking industry and address the growing climate crisis.
SB 315 will allow health and safety loopholes. It requires the gas
industry to pay less than almost any other state in the country,
exposing our communities to the worst excesses of the fracking industry.
Doctors will be prevented from talking openly about the sickness they
see in their patients, and the gas industry will keep profits flowing
out of our communities.
