SB 132

State Land Fracking (Antonio, N.) To prohibit the removal of oil or gas from under state lands via horizontal wells and to name this act the Protecting public Resources, Ecosystems, and Sensitive lands from Extraction, Violation, and Exploitation (PRESERVE) Act. CONTINUED (1st Hearing – Sponsor Testimony)

Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) identified safety concerns, noting the January explosion at a Guernsey County well pad as one reason to halt oil and gas activity centered around state-owned land. (See Gongwer Ohio Report, January 3, 2025) 

She also urged colleagues to back her bill to block oil and gas activity on state-owned land due to questions over environmental and health impacts. 

“Our state parks and public lands are vital for preserving biodiversity, offering recreational opportunities and supporting tourism, which is a key driver of local economies,” Antonio said. 

“Fracking can disrupt these ecosystems, with the potential to cause irreversible damage to habitats and diminishing the long-term viability of our natural resources.” 

She also pointed to recent firings by the Trump Administration, which led to the termination of about 1,000 national park workers. 

“By having essential personnel terminated from the National Park Service, this puts our parks, climate and ecosystems in jeopardy, demonstrating Ohio’s needed role in taking preventative steps to preserve and protect our environment,” she said. 

Sen. Al Landis (R-Dover) noted that information cited by the sponsor suggested well pads are often located by schools, day cares, hospitals and the like. He asked if the leader has had the opportunity to visit any well pads. 

Antonio replied she has visited several located in her former district. 

Landis followed up by saying, “The reason I ask is I’ve been on a number of pads and I don’t remember anything being close to them.” 

Further discussion led Antonio to opine that even one explosion at a well pad is something “we should be concerned about.” 

Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) expressed interest in seeing a breakdown of costs incurred by first responders as a result of the explosion. 

Chair Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster) told the sponsor he agrees “we need to do everything we can to protect our parks.” 

But he said his understanding is that any fracking activity would take place in areas where the public is not permitted to visit. 

Antonio drew a distinction between that approach and the question of whether oil and gas activity should be permitted at all. 

“Personally I don’t believe we should be doing hydrofracking underneath our parks because of the risk of jeopardy to those resources,” she said. 

SB 147

Waste/Debris Disposal (Reineke, B.) To make changes to the laws governing the transfer and disposal of solid waste and construction and demolition debris and to provide for new procedures governing a county’s withdrawal from a joint solid waste management district. CONTINUED (See separate story) (2nd Hearing – Proponent Testimony)

 

Subscribers Note: Testimony & documents are available on the committee’s website under March 25.