Talk First

A permit has been issued to drill a gas/oil well on Sonoco property in Munroe Falls, adjacent to the Cuyahoga River. My best guess is that the actual drilling is imminent. The proposed well is close to both the river and to the well field at Water Park that supplies drinking water to approximately 49,000 residents of Cuyahoga Falls, Munroe Falls, and Silver Lake. There is a problem with the water well site that makes it vulnerable to surface contamination. According to the Ohio EPA, the water reservoir --or "aquifer" -- from which we pump our public water "is not covered by low-permeability material, which means that there is no protection from contamination... A chemical spill in this zone (the drinking water source protection area) poses a greater threat to the drinking water, so this area warrants more stringent protection." An Ohio EPA official goes a bit further, stating that "ODNR's pollution potential map also shows the area of the well field and the area of the proposed oil and gas well to have one of the highest susceptibility ratings in Summit County."

In his email response to the caution, Mr. Steve Opritza, ODNR geologist replied to EPA that same day: "...it is our intention to impose special permit conditions for the Sonoco #1 well. These will require the producer to adhere to strict pit construction and wellbore casing standards." Mr. Opritza reiterated those sentiments to me in a phone conversation 12-11-2007, but could not guarantee the continued safety of the aquifer after drilling the Sonoco well, proposed safeguards notwithstanding. It is also my understanding that ODNR did not actively seek EPA input, which one would think would be an essential component of any permit procedure.

As stated in detail in the sidebar, HB278 removes all local control and oversight from the drilling process. However, this particular instance presents special issues that deserve our collective and closest scruntiny. At a minimum, this issue should be opened up for public discussion and addressed by the citizens whose drinking water may be affected. An independent assessment of associated risk should be conducted by an impartial third party expert. In pure dollars, the potential costs related to "cleaning" a contaminated water supply would seem to far outweigh any potential revenue generated by the well site. While the statistical probability of a catastrophic contamination can be reduced by imposing procedural guidelines and strictly monitoring the drilling process, we currently have no published or openly discussed risk assessment to consider.

I am sure that responsible local municipalities welcome the input of both the ODNR and EPA in making any assessment of a proposed drilling site. But removing all local input runs contrary to the best traditions of representative government.

I have contacted our local representatives. Mr. Coughlin has not deigned to respond to my email on this issue, sent 12/6/2007. Mr. Widowfield (a co-sponsor of HB 278) called me to defend his position supporting the bill, and promised a follow up (11/30/2007). I have heard nothing from him since.

There is a larger issue having to do with gas/oil drilling in general. A recent study presented by the National Resources Defense Council to a House committee in October listed several ominous health and environmental concerns related to gas and oil drilling--in general. One of the more sobering observations was that, "Among the toxic chemicals that can be released during oil and gas operations are benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene, radioactive materials, hydrogen sulfide, arsenic, and mercury." I am not an expert in these matters, but the combination of potential toxins and the unique susceptibility of the water well field suggest that we proceed with extreme caution.

We have placed the NRDC report and several other support documents at the links below.

7701012 City of Cuyahoga Falls.pdf is a study of the Cuyahoga Falls water fields:
http://www.picsellation.com/blog/7701012%20City%20of%20Cuyahoga%20Falls%20.pdf

Water. A report by the Natrural Resources Defense Council on drilling in western states:
http://www.picsellation.com/blog/Water.pdf

HB278. An overview of Ohio HB278
http://www.picsellation.com/blog/HB%20278.pdf

A map of aquifer susceptibility:
http://www.picsellation.com/blog/Aquifer%20Susceptibility.jpg

A map of Cuyahoga Falls depth to bedrock:
http://www.picsellation.com/blog/Cuy%20Falls%20Depth%20to%20Bedrock.jpg

Comments are open to any stakeholders. I'll do my best to use this space to keep all concerned parties informed of the situation as it evolves.
Ralph Birnbaum
Munroe Falls, OH