No Toxic Waste near Martins Ferry's Water Source
Eric Vendel, Chief, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Oil and Gas Resources Management
Who is encouraged to sign this petition?
Anyone who uses Martins Ferry's municipal water supply, which includes residents of Martins Ferry, Bridgeport, Brookside, and anyone who buys water from Tri-County Water (Tri-County Water is supplied by the Martins Ferry aquifer). Anyone living downstream, such as residents in Wheeling, Bellaire, Shadyside, Moundsville, etc.
Why is this important?
Liquid and solid waste from the gas and oilfields is currently being stored in a building near the municipal drinking water source for thousands of people in Martins Ferry, OH. The facility processed the radioactivity from fracking waste throughout the region. The facility was ordered to cease excepting waste in March after there had been 10,000 tons of waste stored, while the permit only allows for 600 tons at a time. There is an ongoing lawsuit from the Ohio Attorney General. The AG's office stated in March that there were "egregious violations of Ohio law" and that "the risk of overflow poses a significant threat to the surrounding area and to public health." To make matters more concerning, there was flooding of the Ohio River in early April that brought flood water up to the front doors of the facility. The site is in a floodplain. This site should be cleaned up immediately as it is a Source Water Protection Area.
Petition by
Sponsored by
To:
Eric Vendel, Chief, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Oil and Gas Resources Management
From:
[Your Name]
The oil and gas waste processing facility located in Martins Ferry, Ohio should be cleaned up immediately and no future processing of waste should occur at the site. The site is within a Source Water Protection Area and the municipal aquifer that supplies thousands of residents with water is shallow and vulnerable to contamination. Oil and gas waste contains toxins that threaten the aquifer. The area is only about 500 feet from the Ohio River and is in a floodplain.
The Ohio Attorney General's office filed a lawsuit in March and stated that "the risk of overflow poses a significant threat to the surrounding area and to public health." The site is also being investigated by the United States EPA as a potential Superfund site. Additionally, the site was never properly closed since the closure of the former steel mill that operated there - yet another reason why more toxins should not be processed at the site.
Citizens ask that ODNR does not approve any permit transfers, nor allow any future processing of oil and gas waste in the Source Water Protection Area. ODNR should arrange a clean-up of the site immediately and environmental testing and monitoring should be done to ensure the current and future health and safety of the residents and stakeholders of the area.