Fracking in Ohio begins to worry environmentalists and residents alike.


Fracking rig excavating natural resources in Pennsylvania.

Fracking in Ohio begins to worry environmentalists and residents alike.

Jan. 2023 –, Ohio Gov., Mike Dewine, made the radical move of allowing natural gas to be categorized as a form of green energy, much to the dismay of many environmentalists.

Previously, state land could permit companies to analyze the property for signs of natural resources, but were not permitted to make any plans to break ground. With DeWineallowing lawmakers to change the terms, drilling companies are now permitted to excavate natural resources, such as gas and oil, by fracking on previously protected land. This motion worries many environmentalists and climate activists as Ohio’s carbon footprint will most likely increase.

One of the stipulations that DeWine made was that any of the drilling companies who wish to acquire these natural resources in Ohio must do so without going through the surface of any of the state-owned land. However, there are loopholes that allow them to leave the state property, dig straight down and then drill all the way to the property and mine the resources.

Fracking and burrowing underground could be extremely damaging to the properties, forever altering the natural beauty of these areas–which angers climate activists. As a result, a group of activists filed a lawsuit trying to halt companies from drilling while they tried to repeal the decision, but the judge sided with DeWine and the drilling companies. The case is not completely dead in the water but it has taken a major setback, forcing the Ohio Environmental Council to regroup.

Many Ohio residents are concerned about what kind of precedent will be set by allowing potentially malicious fracking companies to come in and strip protected lands. John Carroll University student Bradley Lyons ‘24, a lifetime resident of Ohio, expressed his concerns.

“Ohio has a lot of beautiful areas full of rich nature that many people, including myself, enjoy. Places like Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the various nature conservatories around the state that are a great place to hike, bike ride and explore. It concerns me that Ohio lawmakers are becoming more willing to overturn certain protections of this land because I think it could get out of hand quickly. This is a slippery slope that we may soon come to regret.”

Lyons’ sentiment reflects that of many Ohio residents, who take pride in the state’s vast landscapes and nature that has been untouched due to protections, but fear that it will now be up for grabs.

There are currently seventy-five state parks in Ohio, which in total see over thirty million visitors each year. Moreover, there are three state parks near JCU. One of the main areas that fracking companies have taken interest in is Salt Fork State Park. Now that the application process for fracking requests is open, a company based in Texas has requested to set up 16 fracking sites around Salt Fork, which could be extremely detrimental to air quality. There were massive protests at the park that resulted in the drilling requests being denied, but it was shocking to many that these companies would immediately choose one of the most popular state parks in Ohio, as opposed to more vacant areas that are now open for fracking.

Lawmakers may have made up their minds on the potential fracking in Ohio, but the public is tirelessly working to fight back.