Letter to Sonoco -Sent 1-4-08

This was sent today via email to Mr. Coxe at Sonoco:

Dear Mr. Coxe,
As I have heard nothing since our last conversation, I am taking the liberty of providing an update on the proposed gas/oil drilling on Sonoco property in Munroe Falls, Ohio.

1) Munroe Falls City council has passed a resolution opposing the drilling until a formal study is conducted to determine its potential impact on the local environment, particularly the local water well field that supplies drinking water for 49,000+ residents on Munroe Falls, Cuyahoga Falls, and Silver Lake. The vote was unanimous.
2) Mayor Larson has been in contact with the governor's office and has requested an executive order placing a moratorium on drilling until the study is completed. They have responded, are sensitive to this issue, and have it under review.
3) Beck Energy has threatened Munroe Falls with legal action under an arcane statute in the Ohio Revised Code if the city refuses to voluntarily add .37 acre of city property to an aggregation pool that will allow a second well; a well that has also been opposed by the city from the start.
4) Ohio EPA informed us that it has no idea what impact the gas/oil well might have on the environment or on water quality. They are frustrated that HB278 eliminates procedures and safeguards designed to ensure the suitability of a drill site and enforcement of good procedures through the combined oversight of ODNR and EPA. ODNR has requested no formal study.
5) A gas/oil well in Bainbridge Township made television and newspaper headlines in December when it contaminated the residential wells of a dozen homeowners. Things obviously happen.
6) Cuyahoga Falls is preparing its own, similar resolution, supporting the Munroe Falls position. They are particularly concerned about Beck Energy's aggressive posture.

Munroe Falls is a community that acquiesced to the removal of its namesake falls in the interest of water quality, realizing that it had a responsibility to its neighbors in the Cuyahoga Valley that superseded its own immediate self-interest.

We doubt very much that Beck Energy apprised you of the lax oversight in our state when it made its original proposal. Beck's current, heavy-handed approach eliminates all doubt that their own self-interest rises above all other considerations.

Sonoco has been a good neighbor and a responsible citizen here in Munroe Falls. We thank you for that. Clearly, your own corporate mission statement leaves no doubt that you embrace your civic responsibilities and view them as an integral part of your future.

" Shareholder return, customer and employee satisfaction, commitment to excellence, integrity, environmental stewardship and a safe workplace will be the hallmarks of our culture. ..We believe that initiatives around enhancing our reputation, being a strong corporate citizen, providing a good place to work and being a good steward of our environmental resources will make us a stronger, more competitive company..."

Please contact Mayor Larson at your earliest convenience to discuss a mutually beneficial arrangement that will secure your reputation and long term best interests, and restore the safeguards to our health and quality of life. With the water supply of 49,000 people at stake, an ounce of prevention seems appropriate.

Respectfully,

Ralph Birnbaum