Written by: Sidney Wiles (snw003@marietta.edu)
Just this week, the United States Bureau of Land Management leased 2,776 acres of Wayne National Forest for $11 million. The land will be used for fracking.
The Bureau of Land Management scoped parcels of land in Monroe and Washington counties this past January and announced the auction this past July. They believe the act is justified because Wayne National Forest is already home to 1,200 conventional wells — despite the fact that most of these wells are inactive.
Hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as fracking, is the act of drilling deep into underground rock formations to extract oil and natural gas. This invasive process cause destruction to the ecosystem and also releases natural gases like carbon dioxide into the ozone.
This lease violates environmental laws in place to protect both endangered species and the aesthetic appeal of the land. Increased fracking action will bring air pollution, industrialization, and destruction to local ecosystems. The risk is highest for marine life — fracking releases harmful waste drainage into local streams, contaminating the water supply.
“I think it’s concerning, and I’m confused on why people aren’t more worried,” said Ohio resident Dalton Halworth. “It’s a growing problem.”
As this issue develops, it only raises more concern for Washington County. Environmental analysts and specialists are actively investigating Marietta’s drinking water, which has increasing potential to become contaminated with brine waste from past injection wells.
“Oil is a nonrenewable resource we will always need, so many people don’t know when to stop — but at some point, you need to,” Halworth said. “It seems like the destruction is ongoing. There’s no way to tell what this project will turn into in coming years.”
This is a developing story. As more information becomes available, The Marcolian will continue its coverage.
Edited by: Jackson Bandy (knb003@marietta.edu)
