HUBBARD TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WKBN) – Hubbard Township Trustees are working to stop an injection well from going in off Route 7.
The board sent a letter to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources late last month claiming that the address for the well, proposed by Bobcat Energy Resources, is incorrect and that ownership is not clear. The board said in its letter that the exact address of the well, which is listed as 6884 Hubbard Masury Road, comes back to a “0” address on Hubbard Sharon Road.
Trustees are asking for clarification on the exact address before a permit is issued and are questioning the “re-issuance” status of the permit since they believe that this recent permit application is related to an application that trustees opposed in December 2018.
“As of this date, the township has not received any information that would indicate that this 2018 application/permit was approved or issued. Therefore, Hubbard Township is requesting any all public records related to that permit/approval/issuance as required by the Ohio Open Records Act,” the letter said.
Trustee Richard Hernandez said that he has been fighting injection wells in Hubbard for 20 years. He, along with other trustees, are concerned about groundwater contamination and nearby Little Yankee Creek.
“One of the biggest objections is the chemicals they put into the ground –thousands of feet. Little Yankee Creek feeds into the Shenango Reservoir where people get their drinking water,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez also mentioned concerns about traffic congestion in the area and also the fragility of coal mines in the area and the concern of putting pressure on them.
Trustees are requesting a public meeting on the location of the proposed well and a review of the township’s objections with a public meeting for residents to voice concerns.
Hernandez said they awaiting a response to their letter from ODNR.
