The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Oil and Gas Land Management Commission decided to open state parks and wildlife areas to fracking.
A government commission in Ohio has decided to open some state parks and wildlife areas to fracking.
The decision comes amid an investigation on allegations of possible fraudulent support from an industry group representing energy companies, The Associated Press reported.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Oil and Gas Land Management Commission (OGLMC) greenlit multiple fracking proposals on land owned by Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Department of Transportation, according to a report by The Associated Press.
The commissioners held a meeting to consider the applications, and many environmentalists showed up to protest.
After one member of the audience threw play money on the ground in front of commissioners in protest, the commissioner chair Ryan Richardson responded, “I’m going to ask again that we can show respect to the commissioners,” Ideastream Public Media reported.
The protestor responded, “Why should we show respect when you are not respecting us, and you’re giving away our land to profit-making oil and gas? Why should we sit here and let you do that?”
Days before the decision, Ohio Senate Democrats sent a letter to OGLMC, asking them to decline the applications to frack in state parks.
Source: Ohio Commission Decides to Allow Fracking in State Parks – EcoWatch