Issues

Protecting our FreshWater resources is of vital importance. Below you will find recent actions and information related to the threats facing Ohio and beyond.

FWAP Travels to DC to Testify at People’s Hearing

On December 2, 2016, Lea Harper, Managing Director of FreshWater Accountability Project, along with other Ohioans traveled to Washington DC to testify against the abuses of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The FERC regularly tramples people's human,...

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FreshWater Accountability Project & Community Groups File Protest Letter to Protect Ohio’s Only National Forest from Oil and Gas Development

FreshWater Accountability Project & Community Groups File Protest Letter to Protect Ohio’s Only National Forest from Oil and Gas Development

On November 14, 2016, FreshWater Accountability Project and 26 other organizations filed a protest letter to oppose the opening of the Wayne National Forest to oil and gas development. The letter protests the federal Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) proposed December 13, 2016, oil and gas lease sale of 33 parcels of publicly owned lands.

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182 Organizations from 35 States Call for Congressional Review of FERC

182 Organizations from 35 States Call for Congressional Review of FERC

Grand Rapids, OH – More than 180 organizations representing communities across America called on leaders in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and House Energy and Commerce Committee to hold congressional hearings into the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) extensive history of bias and abuse. The groups are also requesting reform of the Natural Gas Act, which the groups say, gives too much power to FERC and too little to state and local officials.

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2016 Conference A Huge Success

2016 Conference A Huge Success

Despite the lack of attendance from Ohio’s legislators and regulators, the conference sponsored by FreshWater Accountability Project brought information and empowerment to those attending. The few elected and public health officials who attended are greatly appreciated and will be remembered. Those who did not attend will be sent the following information so that no one who has a position of public responsibility and accountability will be able to say that he or she did not know about the harms and the future liability that will be imposed upon the taxpayers of Ohio when the extent of the environmental and economic destruction of fracking becomes fully known:

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Conservancy District Warned of Watershed Impacts

Conservancy District Warned of Watershed Impacts

(Grand Rapids, OH) On June 4, 2016, the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) held its annual Conservancy Court hearings in New Philadelphia, Ohio with Judge O’Farrell presiding. As has been done for previous hearings, the FreshWater Accountability Project (FWAP) gave the court testimony regarding the negative impacts to the region’s water due to the MWCD’s engagement in and support of horizontal hydrofracking (fracking) in the region. This industry, also called “unconventional shale drilling” is not at all like the conventional methods used to extract oil and gas in the past. Due to the depth of the drilling and the massive amount of water that is needed to “frack” a well, the industry has created environmental problems in the region, including the massive amount of toxic, radioactive waste that is created, spills and deliberate dumping of this waste, earthquakes due to the disposal of the waste in injection wells, a dangerous increase in heavy truck traffic, and the loss of millions of gallons of freshwater to the region due to the one- time consumptive use by fracking. Science has now concluded that thee air and water contamination from the industry has caused human health effects as a result of the hazardous and radioactive pollutants released by the industry.

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Fracking Conference at Statehouse Highlights Lack of Public Protections in Ohio

Fracking Conference at Statehouse Highlights Lack of Public Protections in Ohio

As the unconventional shale gas drilling (fracking) industry continues to expand in Ohio with what critics call inadequate regulation, directly impacted communities are seeking answers and assistance from legislators and regulators to protect their communities. To further those efforts, the FreshWater Accountability Project (FWAP) sponsored a conference on Tuesday, May 17, at the Ohio Statehouse Atrium to urge Ohio legislators and regulators to learn the from several expert presenters the environmental and public health impacts of its rapid deployment, infrastructure buildout and waste stream disposal

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