Ohio’s Oil & Gas Incident Report Follow Up: A Deeper Look at the Report & Next Steps

​Ohio’s injection wells are used to dispose of large volumes of wastewater from oil and gas drilling by pumping it deep underground. When something goes wrong at an injection well or oil and gas waste facility, Ohioans should be able to find out what went wrong and if soil or water was contaminated. Access to information such as the state response as well as accountability are important, too. Our new report examines the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) incident records and shines a light on the shortcomings of public reporting, inspections and enforcement of code.

​In this follow-up webinar, FracTracker Alliance and Buckeye Environmental Network will explain the findings from the incident report in detail, and discuss the next steps of taking action. The ODNR is slated to begin a process of reviewing the rules for class II injection wells and oil and gas waste facilities in January, 2027. This is the five year review of rules that will govern Ohio’s Class II oil and gas facilities. In this webinar, we will break down the steps of the process, discuss how these rules affect our communities and strategize about the best methods for the community to have a say in how these facilities are governed.

​This report shows that the ODNR does not have strong enough rules to protect communities and the environment, and that they do not adequately enforce the rules that already exist. This review will help us clearly demand clear incident records and regular thorough inspections. We need to ensure that when operators violate the rules, ODNR will enforce them. Join us to ask questions about the report, and learn how to take part in the rulemaking process.