Hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, has proliferated over the last two decades as oil and gas companies drill all over the U.S. to find needed reserves.
The Marcellus and Utica shale formations, which lie, in part, under the hills of eastern Ohio, are two of the most important sources of natural gas in the country.
Oil and gas companies flocked to that area of the state, setting up extraction operations in some of the most impoverished areas of Appalachia, and promising profits and jobs.
Has fracking delivered?
Now there’s a fight over efforts to drill under Salt Fork State Park and other state-owned lands – a state commission on Monday voted for a reprieve – of sorts.
We discuss the state of fracking in Ohio.
Host:
- Mike Thompson, WOSU chief content director of radio
Guests:
- Jake Zuckerman, reporter, Cleveland.com
- Robert Wirkner, Carroll County commissioner
- Rob Brundrett, president of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association
- Randi Pokladnik, retired scientist, Save Ohio Parks
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