The Effects from Fracking Ohio’s Parks Reach Far Beyond the State

ALERT UPDATE on Salt Fork State Park and the Surrounding Regions in Ohio and Beyond

Essay on Regional & Global Impacts by Randi Pokladnik, Save Ohio Parks, August 3, 2023

Ohio’s HB 507 has opened up state lands to oil and gas exploration using high pressure hydraulic fracturing. If approved, Salt Fork State Park, over 20,000+ acres, will be leased for fracking. We know from existing data that chemicals used in fracking are dangerous, and many studies have shown these chemicals have polluted groundwater and negatively affected human health. Physicians for Social Responsibility agree that citizens and workers will experience health risks from fracking even if it is regulated more closely. They believe fracking “must be phased out.”

We also know that fracking releases climate changing air emissions like methane and other volatile organic compounds. One of the largest releases of methane gas in the United States occurred in February 2018 when an XTO Energy well pad exploded in Belmont County Ohio. Residents within a mile radius had to evacuate as the well leaked methane gas into the atmosphere for nearly a month.

Ohio’s Oil and Gas Land Management Commission (appointed by Governor DeWine) will decide whether or not to approve the recent nominations to frack Wolf Run State Park, Zeppernick Wildlife Area, and Salt Fork State Park. As they make these decisions they must consider the Ohio statues around the law (HB 507), but nowhere in these rules is there any mention of considering the long-term effects of fracking emissions and the greenhouse gases that will result from burning more fossil fuels.

Climate change is a not on their radar, but fracking this amount of land will certainly play a significant role in adding to the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Proponents of fracking neglect to admit that fracking 20,000+ acres of Salt Fork will not only affect all of Ohio and SE Ohio’s citizens’ water, air, and health, but will have an impact on the rest of the world.

Proponents of fracking defend the process with the usual talking points. They claim volcanoes put more carbon dioxide into the air than fossil fuels. This is false. “Greenhouse gas emissions from volcanoes comprise less than one percent of those generated by today’s human endeavors.” Another talking point is “we need to frack for energy independence” yet the data shows that much of that gas leaves the country. “Today, the United States is a net exporter of natural gas and one of the top exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the world.”

Another claim states that we need to frack for national security, yet the Pentagon has made statements as to the negative impacts of climate change on national security. Former Defense Secretary James Mattis said “climate change is real, and a threat to American interests abroad and the Pentagon’s assets everywhere.” Current Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, “There is little about what the Department does to defend the American people that is not affected by climate change, it is a national security issue, and we must treat it as such.”

Ohio’s greenhouse gas emissions do not remain above the state, but travel in the jet stream. Ohio shares a common atmosphere with countries around the world. We were made aware of this fact several times this summer. Ohio residents experienced record air pollution levels from climate-driven Canadian wildfires. Ohio was blanketed with ash and particulate matter from these fires.

Recently, a non-profit coalition of universities, non-profits, and tech companies, was formed to track greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the globe. Climate Trace uses “technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to analyze over 59 trillion bytes of data from more than 300 satellites, more than 11,100 sensors, and numerous additional sources of emissions information. The result is a groundbreaking approach to emissions monitoring that is independent, transparent, and timely.” They do not rely on self-reporting.

Climate Trace’s satellite measurements from the Tropomi satellite, direct measurements, and artificial intelligence, allow a map to be constructed which displays the major greenhouse gas emitters across the globe. These include: electricity generation, manufacturing, agriculture, forestry, waste disposal, and mineral extraction. All the measurements, which include the major greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, HCFCs, nitrogen oxides and sulfur hexafluoride, are given a weighted average based on their longevity in the atmosphere and their potential to absorb heat. Carbon dioxide has a lower rating of 1, while methane is rated a 30 because it has more heat absorption capacity. Therefore, a smaller quantity of methane can exert a great deal more atmospheric warming than the same quantity of carbon dioxide.

The values on the map are reported as CO2e-100 and CO2e-20. This allows one to view the potential amount of warming compared to carbon dioxide during a 100-year period and also a twenty-year period. Looking at the global map, the Marcellus shale has a CO2 100-year potential of 124.38 megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent heating potential, and the Utica Shale has a CO2 100-year potential of 33.25 megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent heating potential. The Marcellus Shale gas and oil fields are currently #4 globally for emitting greenhouse gases; Utica Shale ranks #29. For comparison, the Texas oil and gas fields are #1 globally for GHG emissions with a 206 MT CO2 equivalent.

The USA is the 2nd highest GHG emitter and ranks 3rd in the world for emissions due to fossil fuels. By allowing fracking to continue in Ohio, we will jeopardize the world’s ability to reach any credible climate goals in this decade. Scientists tell us that we must cut carbon emissions in half by 2030 in order to stay below the 1.5 C global average temperature increase from pre-industrial revolution readings. We have less than seven years to accomplish this task.

The major terrestrial carbon sinks on our planet include: the Amazon forests, Boreal forests, and the temperate forests. Along with the oceans, these regions have been absorbing much of the man-made carbon emissions. But we are emitting carbon faster today than any natural carbon sink can absorb. It’s like withdrawing money from a checking account when the balance is fast approaching zero. Because of deforestation, the Amazon forests can, in a few years, become a carbon source rather than a carbon sink, and unleash more climate-warming gases into our atmosphere. While scientists keep sounding the alarm, the fossil fuel industry continues to ignore the science.

Citizens are trying to save Ohio’s state parks from becoming another carbon source. What hangs in the balance is more than just wrecking an $8 billion outdoor recreation industry; it’s more than risking the water source for countless rural citizens; it’s more than destroying forested ecosystems. We are risking the survival of our planet. As global citizens, do we want to continue to allow our non-renewable energy resources to be controlled by an industry that has proven they are willing to risk our planet’s existence for a dollar?

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ALERT — To learn more, visit the ‘Save Ohio Parks’ website at: saveohioparks.org.

Save Ohio Parks is an all volunteer group of Ohio citizens concerned about fracking in or near our state parks, forests, wildlife areas and other public lands. The people of Ohio pay for and use our public lands and we deserve a say in what happens to them.