Although Ohio University is taking inventory of its land for potential hydraulic fracturing purposes, several faculty members drafted a resolution outlining their concerns about the drilling practice.
In a resolution sent to OU President Roderick McDavis, 14 members of OU’s Environmental Services Advisory Board urged the administration to refrain from opening its land for hydraulic fracturing until more research on its side effects is completed.
“The well-being of Ohio University depends directly on the beauty and physical integrity of our campuses and their natural environment,” the resolution states. “Fracking-related contamination and pollution would significantly affect the university's ability to attract and retain students and faculty.”
The faculty members drafting the resolution stated that if the university decided to allow fracking on its land, there are several precautions they would recommend be in every possible lease.
The precautions include baseline water testing, full disclosure of chemicals used in each frack well and no flaring of well gas.
kg287609@ohiou.edu
