Hundreds turned out on the statehouse steps in Columbus Tuesday afternoon to speak out against drilling for oil and natural gas in Ohio.
No Frack Ohio is calling for a statewide ban on what's called fracking, a process that blasts pressurized water, sand and chemicals underground to release gas and oil reserves. The group also wants a ban on deep injection wells that hold drilling waste water.
A large contingency from the Valley made the trip, and State Rep. Bob Hagan was among the speakers.
He and others spoke in support of a moratorium on all drilling, including fracking and brine injection wells that many have linked to the recent earthquakes here. Hagan wants hearings on the safety of these processes before moving forward, which is something those in attendance support.
"At the time when I was most sick, drinking the most water, I lay on the bathroom floor, night after night, thinking I would surely be dead soon, throwing up until the blood vessels in my eyes and cheeks were bursting," one protester said.
Gov. John Kasich has halted wastewater injection at a well owned by D&L Energy in Youngstown and four nearby wells after 11 earthquakes hit the area this year. However, he says he doesn't want issues involving waste water disposal to slow the Ohio jobs promised by oil and gas drilling in the state.
State officials note dozens of similar injection wells have operated around Ohio for decades without problems.
