Ohio is expanding its fracking industry despite concerns of its environmental impact

Ohio is expanding its fracking industry despite concerns of its environmental impact
1.4 billion gallons of fracking wastewater, or toxic brine, is being pumped into injection wells for long term storage in Ohio every year. This salty wastewater byproduct of fracking is full of heavy metals,¿radioactive materials, cancer-causing benzene and hazardous chemical additives from the fracking process.

Just outside of Marietta, the injection wells that are supposed to hold this sludge and keep it away from nearby drink water aquafers are failing.

At least one third of the toxic fracking wastewater currently stored underground in Ohio comes from other states. In addition to this already existing containment and importing concerns, Ohio has been increasing its own fracking footprint over the last three years by leasing out its public land to this industry, oftentimes to out-of-state developers.

In September, nearly 3,000 acres of Wayne National Forest, Ohio's only national forest, will be auctioned off for these purposes, despite concerns about fracking's environmental impact and effect on nearby populations.

Thursday on the "Sound of Ideas" hosted by Stephanie Haney, we'll discuss fracking, its toxic wastewater byproduct and the impact its storage could have in Ohio.

The protest period for the September sale of land for fracking in Wayne National Forest is open until Monday, Aug. 17. Protests must be mailed or hand delivered to the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management.

Note: We reached out to the Bureau of Land Management and the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission, both of which are organizations involved in the leasing of development rights for possible fracking.

While the Ohio Oil and Gas Commission did not respond to requests for a statement, the Bureau of Land Management provided the following statement to the Sound of Ideas after this episode aired:

Oil and gas development on public lands generates substantial revenue that directly benefits the American people, with roughly half of all royalties and fees returning to states like Ohio to support local services and infrastructure. The Bureau of Land Management follows all applicable laws and regulations when evaluating lease parcels, and the Wayne National Forest has confirmed its consent for this lease sale.

Hydraulic fracturing is one of the techniques operators may use to produce energy resources, and the BLM requires thorough environmental review before development occurs. Multiple environmental analyses—including the 2016 Environmental Assessment and the 2025 Supplemental Environmental Assessment—found that oil and gas development in the region can provide economic activity, jobs, and revenue while operating under required environmental safeguards designed to protect land, water, wildlife, and surrounding communities.