WKSU News: Anti-fracking groups organize nationwide rallies

Wednesday, September 12, 2012 Anti-fracking groups organize nationwide rallies Portage County group say job claims are exaggerated by WKSU's SIMON HUSTED	Reporter Simon Husted

$Anti-fracking advocates march down West Riddle Avenue near downtown Ravenna.$

Anti-fracking advocates march down West Riddle Avenue near downtown Ravenna.

Courtesy of Simon Husted

In The Region:

Anti-fracking groups across Ohio and 10 other states pitched tables and tents yesterdayto try to persuade residents that hydraulic fracturing needs more government oversight.

Concern Citizens of Portage County were among those holding informational ralling to protest the proliferation of fracking in eastern Ohio.

Spokeswoman Gwen Fischer, acknowledges that the boom in drilling for oil and natural gas in Ohio’s shale formations has boosted employment, but says that’s just temporary.

Job claims

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$A man hangs an anti-fracking sign around a sign.$

$Anti-fracking advocates line up along West Riddle Avenue in downtown Ravenna.$

$A woman holds up two anti-fracking signs at the rally near downtown Ravenna.$

Members of Concerned Citizens of Portage County set up tables and yard signs for Wednesday's rally.

$Gwen Fischer, right, helped organize Wednesday rally against fracking in Ohio.$

$A small girl stakes an anti-fracking yard sign into the ground near the First Congregational Church near downtown Ravenna.$

$An anti-fracking yard sign stands up from the ground near the First Congregational Church in downtown Ravenna.$

“Most of the technical work will be done by people from out-of-state,” Fischer says. “That is the way it has been done everywhere else. The figures that I have seen show that the calculations for the number of jobs are really way too high and they are not realistic because they don’t take into account that the production of these wells drop by half within the first two years.”

One of the primary concerns of the protesters is the proliferation of deep wells used to dispose of the chemical waste-water left over from fracking. Some have been tied to earthquakes.

Fischer says her group plans to continue encouraging residents to learn more about fracking at a public forum next Monday in Ravenna.

Listener Comments:

"One of the primary concerns of the protesters is the proliferation of deep wells used to dispose of the chemical waste-water left over from fracking. Some have been tied to earthquakes." - please, there are some that don't agree with this,and think jobs are more important than what seems an exaggeration of problems from something that has been going on for decades.
Fracking is supported by the conservative right, and many of the leftist environmentalists seem to not care how many jobs are lost for the sake of the environment.

Posted by: its working on September 15, 2012 11:09AM

Why is fracking suddenly an issue? Fracking has been done for decades - now that America needs income from fracking, air and water seem more important.
There is a video showing a person making a large fire erupt with a match next to running water from a faucet - not hard to see this is a contrived video - the sponsors of the video probably reveals they are an unreliable leftist entity; - people that believe this would believe that fracking causes earthquakes.

Posted by: were not rich anymore on September 15, 2012 10:09AM

What we don't hear about is that the natural gas import terminals around America are applying to be export terminals. This has never happened before. Natural gas has not been exported from America. But one such terminal near New Orleans has already been approved as an export terminal. China needs natural gas to power its factories. Our beautiful Ohio will be fracked causing harm to our air, water and land, then poisoned with the fracking waste of not only Ohio, but PA, WV, TX and other states so that China can have our natural gas. That is a story for NPR to investigate.

Posted by: Anne Caruso (Cleveland) on September 13, 2012 10:09AM

Hats off to the people in Portage country for standing up to those who want to come into our state and ruin our clean water and our quality of life with fracking. Nothing good can come from this process. Keep up the good work.

Posted by: Connie Huffman (Orrville) on September 13, 2012 8:09AM

But aren't both NPR and PBS funded by the gas industry? I have seen and heard advertisements promoting petroleum extraction on both, constantly, for the past several years.

Posted by: David B. (Kent, Ohio) on September 13, 2012 4:09AM

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