More than 100 Ohio residents gathered at Greenhunter Water’s hydraulic fracturing waste storage site in Washington County on Tuesday to protest its plans to expand, ultimately shutting down the site.
According to a news release from Appalachia Resist, Greenhunter has requested permission from the Coast Guard to use a barge to ship frack-waste, also known as brine, across the Ohio River, which is a source of drinking water for more than five million people in parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania.
The facility was blocked by protesters from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Ten protesters were arrested, none of which were from Appalachia Resist, said Madeline ffitch, a member of the group, who was found guilty of aggravated trespassing after chaining herself in front of an injection well site in Albany in June 2012.
The barge would carry up to half a million gallons of waste per load, according to the release.
In other words, the barges are capable of carrying 10,000 barrels, which is the equivalent of 1,050 truckloads, said Laura Post, a member of Appalachia Resist, who added that protestors would stay as long as possible.
The news release also stated that Greenhunter’s brine samples have shown levels of radioactive chemicals such as benzene, arsenic and radium.
Groups that were involved in the protest along with Appalachia Resist include Radical Action for Mountain Peoples’ Survival (RAMPS), Great Plains Tar Sands Resistance, Earth First and more, according to the news release.
Nate Ebert, a member of Appalachia Resist, said in a news release that Ohio’s governor, legislature and regulatory agencies have not done their part in protecting citizens from the hazards of fracking, adding that the area will be turned into “a sacrifice zone.”
“I fully support what they are doing,” said Christine Hughes, owner of Village Bakery and Cafe and a prominent anti-fracking proponent. “This is about making sure citizens’ voices are heard. Going through the government is not doing anything.”
Polluting drinking water brings many serious consequences, such as cancer, said Teresa Mills, fracking coordinator for the Buckeye Forest Council in a news release.
“How many kids have to get cancer before we decide that saturating Ohio’s rivers and aquifers with toxic waste is not worth it?” Mills said. “We need a ban on injection wells to protect our air, our water, and our children.”
Protesters could not be reached to confirm the protest culmination.
kf398711@ohiou.edu
