Athens County

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Athens County | Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pipelines

Ohio Univ to Get New Natgas Pipeline from Columbia Gas This Year
May 11, 2015May 11, 2015

Here’s a fact: So-called “sustainable” forms of energy like solar, wind and geothermal cannot, by themselves, provide all of the electric needs for a huge university like Ohio University, situated on an 1,850 acre campus in Athens, OH. Right now OU uses coal to meet its electric generating needs. They want to replace it with natural gas. But get this, ninny nanny “environmentalists” don’t like that idea. They’d rather have OU continue to burn dirty coal rather than build a pipeline to the campus and have the campus change over to natural gas. Which perfectly illustrates another fact: “environmentalist” opposition to natural gas springs from a twisted ideology and irrational hatred of fossil fuels, rather than concern for the environment or concern for the air people breathe…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Athens County | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Ohio | Wastewater

Athens, OH Anti-Drillers Appeal Injection Well Permit (Again)
April 15, 2015April 15, 2015

The wacky anti-drillers of the leftist ACFAN (Athens County Fracking Action Network) are once again suing. They didn’t like the answer they got when they appealed a permit issued for a K&H injection well in Athens County, so they’re appealing their appeal. One wonders where the funds come from to engage in ongoing frivolous lawsuits? Would ACFAN care to open up its books and show us who, exactly, is giving them the money to do this? Which Big Environment organization is paying them to continue this kind of activity? Inquiring minds want to know…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Athens County | Cuyahoga County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Mahoning County | Ohio | Portage County | Regulation

3 of 4 Frack Ban Ballot Measures in Ohio Fail – Athens Exception
November 6, 2014November 6, 2014

What about those idiotic “ban fracking” ballot measures up for a vote on Tuesday in Ohio’s Utica Shale? The ballot measure in Youngstown, OH was the fourth such vote for that city (see Fourth Time the Charm for Youngstown Frack Ban Measure?). The Youngstown ballot measure went down in flames. There was a ban measure in Gates Mills, OH, a suburb near Cleveland (see Gates Mills, OH Caves – Anti-Frack Measure on Nov. Ballot). The Gates Mills ballot measure went down in flames too. Finally, there was a ballot measure in ultra-liberal Kent, OH. That ballot measure was voted down (miracles never cease!). Three strikes and yer out. But what’s this? The loonies in Athens, OH prevailed in snookering enough Democrat voters to support a ban that it actually passed in Athens. A year ago we asked the question, Will Utica Shale Drilling Come to Athens County, OH Soon?. We can now answer that question: NO. No drilling will come to Athens–at least to the city (and likely the rest of the area) now that the voters of Athens have thumbed their nose at the industry. There’s plenty of other locations outside of Athens in which to drill…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Athens County | Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Industrywide Issues | Meigs County | Ohio | Regulation | Wastewater

Athens County, OH Anti-Drillers Try to Delay GreenHunter Dock
July 11, 2014July 11, 2014

The anti-drilling nutters of Athens, OH are at it again. They’ve just discovered what MDN told you on Tuesday–that GreenHunter Water has filed an application with the U.S. Coast Guard to get permission to build a barge facility in Meigs County (see GreenHunter Seeks Approval for Barge Facility in Meigs County, OH). The Athens nutters (see Break the Law in OH, Get an Award – Anti-Drilling Nuttery on Display) are now accusing the Coast Guard of undue secrecy because they didn’t beat the drums and sound the gongs that a private company had filed an application with them…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Athens County | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Ohio | Regulation | Wastewater

Athens, OH Anti-Drillers Lose Appeal to Stop Injection Well
June 27, 2014June 27, 2014

In January of this year, the anti-drilling Athens County Fracking Action Network (ACFAN) filed a legal challenge to the permit issued by the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) that approved a new injection well in Athens County (see Athens County, OH Anti-Drillers Sue to Stop New Injection Well). Earlier this month the Ohio Oil & Gas Commission, the organization that hears such appeals, dismissed the appeal by ACFAN…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Athens County | Crime | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Wastewater

Anti-Drilling Protesters Shut Down OH Injection Well – 1 Arrested
June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

Two protesters from the lawless (and radical) Appalachian Resist! organization in Athens County, OH blocked trucks from entering a law-abiding injection well transfer station last week, effectively shutting down the K&H injection well in that area for most of one day. Lawless protester 42 year-old Crissa Cummings and lawless protester 71 year-old Peggy Gish (old hippies?) prove that stupid is no respecter of age. Cummings chained herself to a fence and was arrested. Gish was slapped on the wrist and sent home to make tea and cookies for the grandkids (but should have been jailed). Here’s how the lawless Appalachian Resist! reported it, followed by an adult analysis of what really happened…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Athens County | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Ohio | Wastewater

Athens County Anti-Frackers Continue to Fight Injection Well
April 2, 2014April 2, 2014

In January, MDN told you that a group of anti-drilling nutters in Athens County, OH had sued to try and stop a new, second injection well from being drilled by K&H Partners at the same site where there is currently an operational injection well (see Athens County, OH Anti-Drillers Sue to Stop New Injection Well). The Athens County Fracking Action Network (ACFAN) objected to the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) decision to issue a permit for the new, second injection well.

ACFAN is continuing their legal challenge. The group has filed a new complaint against the ODNR saying the ODNR has not been forthcoming with certain public records sought by ACFAN as part of their original lawsuit. In other words, ACFAN is trying to abuse the law to slow down, delay and kill a legitimate and legal business from doing business in Athens County, OH. But then, that’s how petulant children who grow up to be petulant adults behave…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Athens County | Crime | Industrywide Issues | Ohio

“Athens 8” Criminal Protesters Receive Slap on Wrist by OH Court
April 1, 2014April 1, 2014

Eight loud, obnoxious and anything-but-peaceful protesters were arrested in February near Athens, OH for trespassing and illegally blocking the entrance to an injection well site (see Break the Law in OH, Get an Award – Anti-Drilling Nuttery on Display). The eight alleged criminals–charged with criminal trespass–have successfully pleaded their crimes down to disorderly conduct and let go with a slap on the wrist by an Ohio court.

One of the protesters, a “sustainable” organic farmer, Gilbert (Kip) Rondy, someone who operates “unheated greenhouses” (apparently that’s a badge of honor instead of a sanity test), read a statement to the judge that attempts to excuse his and the other protesters’ lawless actions by saying they had to do it to protect Mother Earth. This one will give you a chuckle like it did us…
Read More ““Athens 8” Criminal Protesters Receive Slap on Wrist by OH Court”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Athens County | Crime | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Wastewater

Break the Law in OH, Get an Award – Anti-Drilling Nuttery on Display
February 19, 2014February 19, 2014

Here’s a life lesson for the kiddies: Start an “organic” farm, and when you don’t get a lot of business because your prices are twice those of everyone else, become a shrill anti-driller and claim Mother Earth is getting poisoned by evil fracking (gets you noticed). Then, take “direct action” against those nasty drillers, which is a euphemism for break the law. And when you’re done, receive an award for it! That’s the brief story of Gilbert (Kip) Rondy, co-owner of Green Edge Gardens in Amesville, OH.

Rondy is one of the so-called “Athens 8” arrested for illegally blocking access to an injection well site near Athens, OH. To reward his illegal behavior, the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association is bestowing on him their Stewardship Award. How nice. We wonder, how would Rondy like it if a group a pro-drillers showed up and blocked access to his organic farm for oh, say a week or so? Would that be worthy of an award too?…
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Athens County | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Ohio | Wastewater

Athens County, OH Anti-Drillers Sue to Stop New Injection Well
January 10, 2014January 10, 2014

Anti-drillers with the Athens County Fracking Action Network (ACFAN) have filed a legal challenge to the permit issued last month by the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) approving a new injection well to be drilled in the county. The injection well would be the second well at a site owned by K&H Partners and would dispose up to 168,000 gallons of frack wastewater per day. According to ACFAN, this is the first challenge to a permitted injection well in 20 years, something they’re quite proud of.

Here’s the ACFAN announcement:
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Athens County | Industrywide Issues | Ohio

Athens County Apologizes for Calling Anti-Drillers ‘Terrorists’
December 16, 2013December 16, 2013

Funny, unsettling, maddening–all of the above is the situation in Athens County. It is indisputable that some extreme environmentalists are terrorists–they damage property and inflict terror, which is the definition of terrorist. However, not all anti-drillers are terrorists. But some are. And so the Athens County Emergency Management Agency in selecting a pretend scenario to use for training selected an unnamed (totally fictional) anti-fracking extremist group as the focus of their training exercise.

Selecting anti-frackers for their training scenario drove the wackos in the Athens County Fracking Action Network right over the proverbial edge. They spit and sputtered and blustered that their sensibilities had been mightily offended, and so the Athens County Emergency Management Agency issued an apology to the poor babies, even though the Fracking Action Network was not the named boogeyman of the exercise–nor even hinted at…
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Athens County | Ohio | Utica Shale

Will Utica Shale Drilling Come to Athens County, OH Soon?
September 20, 2013

From time to time Athens County, OH pops up on the radar screen–mostly related to a misguided attempt by a few anti-drillers to ban fracking (see last month’s article Athens Election Board Votes Against Anti-Frack Ballot Measure).

However, there has been no Utica drilling in Athens County so far. Is that about to change? The Athens News says drilling is inching steadily closer. They take a close look at the prospects (and evidence) that drilling may come to this southeastern Ohio county–soon…
Read More “Will Utica Shale Drilling Come to Athens County, OH Soon?”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Athens County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Regulation

Athens Election Board Votes Against Anti-Frack Ballot Measure
August 23, 2013August 23, 2013

Members of the Athens County, OH Board of Elections voted last Thursday to not put a proposed anti-fracking measure on the ballot in the November election that would not only ban fracking in City of Athens, but also up to 20 miles outside of the city–a breathtaking, egregious power grab that the election board’s attorney advised them against supporting. One member of the Election Board who is anti-fracking, having signed an anti-fracking petition before assuming her office, properly recused herself from the vote citing ethics requirements. The rest of the board members unanimously voted against running the wrong-headed proposal on the ballot this fall.

Anti-drillers from the misnamed “Athens Bill of Rights Committee” are considering their next move, likely legal…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Athens County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Regulation | Wastewater

Athens Politicians Support Injection Well Ban for Frack Wastewater
May 1, 2013May 1, 2013

Although no Utica Shale permits have been issued for drilling in southeastern Ohio Athens County so far, the potential does exist (see Athens County, OH Upgraded to “Good” on ODNR Utica Map). Along with drilling comes wastewater. Many drillers recycle it, but some dispose of it via deep injection wells throughout Ohio. Athens County commissioners have voted to support a ban on all fracking wastewater disposal by injection wells.

Are the Athens commissioners trying to send a message to the drilling industry to stay away?…
Read More “Athens Politicians Support Injection Well Ban for Frack Wastewater”
Athens County | Ohio | Utica Shale

Athens County, OH Upgraded to “Good” on ODNR Utica Map
March 11, 2013March 11, 2013

Although the Tennessee Gas Pipeline and the Tetco pipeline (both major natural gas pipelines) run through Athens County, OH, and although there are several compressor plants in the county, so far there’s been very little shale drilling in the county, and none that specifically targets the Utica Shale. However, with a change in the “potentially good places to drill” map published by the Ohio Geological Survey (see today’s related story), that may change…

Read More “Athens County, OH Upgraded to “Good” on ODNR Utica Map”
Anadarko | Athens County | Encore Energy | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Lease & Royalty Payments | Meigs County | Monroe County | Morgan County | Noble County | Ohio | Utica Shale | Washington County (OH)

Encore Energy to Anadarko: We’ve Got OH Land for You
February 14, 2013February 14, 2013

A for-profit company that pools acreage from both landowners that want to lease their land, and from energy companies with leases who want to re-sell those leases, is trying to get the attention of Anadarko and other drillers in the Ohio Utica Shale. Encore Energy issued a press release yesterday announcing they have land available for lease. They specifically tap Anadarko on the shoulder to tell them they have 1,300 Utica Shale acres “just 3 miles” from land they’re already drilling on in Washington County, OH.

Encore is shopping more than 18,000 acres across a number of Ohio counties, including Morgan, Washington, Noble, Guernsey, Monroe, Athens and Meigs. Here’s their “hey Anadarko, pay attention” press release:

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