Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat News
The Newsletter of the Great Lakes
Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund
The Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat News is the newsletter of the Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund, published five times per year. The News is intended to provide a forum for the free exchange of ideas among citizens and organizations working to protect aquatic habitats in the Great Lakes Basin.
Volume 14, Number 3 • Summer 2006
Lake Erie
Basin Update - U.S.Side
Say Hello to Ohio’s Newest State Park Visitors
By Kristy Meyer, Ohio Environmental Council
The Ohio General Assembly wants to
open up Ohio’s public lands to oil and
gas drilling (Ohio Senate Bill 193 and a
separate not-yet-introduced House
proposal). Many conservationists fear
that these activities will ruin the
character and integrity of pristine Ohio
wilderness, as well as weaken Ohio’s
chances for Great Lakes restoration
funding. Despite the claims of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association,
drilling activities can be incredibly destructive to the natural
environment. If allowed within our state parks, nature preserves,
or even Lake Erie these activities will destroy fragile woodland
ecosystems, threaten water quality and Ohio’s economy.
In Ohio’s portion of the Lake Erie basin there are 46 state parks
and nature preserves and 14 of those are targeted by the Ohio Oil
and Gas Association to be tapped, including oil fields in Lake Erie
itself. Currently Ohio Senate Bill 193 does not include drilling in
Lake Erie, however the House version to be introduced by
Representative John Hagan is reported to include drilling in Lake
Erie.
Lake Erie is one of Ohio’s most valuable treasures. It is an
important resource for Ohio’s residents, industries, agriculture,
municipalities, and ecosystems-making its’ 312 miles of shoreline
a great source of wealth and vitality for its residents and visitors.
The Lake supplies drinking water to roughly 3 million Ohioans
and supports more than 240,000 jobs, equaling a total of
$5.8 billion in wages. Furthermore, it contributes $9.75 billion a
year to Ohio’s economy from the tourism, travel and fishing
industries.
Drilling in Lake Erie and the parks within the Lake Erie basin poses
unavoidable impacts and potential safety and environmental
risks during and even long after the drilling begins, from tree
removal, road building, stream crossings, brine disposal, pipeline
construction and maintenance, compressor noise, air pollution,
and oily brines. These actions threaten wildlife habitat, water
quality and Ohio’s economy.
We cannot allow Ohio’s Elected Officials to use the public’s fear
about rising heating costs to leverage supply-side extraction
opportunities. Ohio Senate hearings have been predicated on the
false notion that drilling for oil and gas on public lands will relieve
rising natural gas prices. Unfortunately, it won’t be the public
who benefits from drilling, it will be the drillers. According to
ODNR, in 2005 the value of gas production in Ohio reached
$759,738,281 up 31% from 2004 at $577,123,783 while the value of
oil production settled in at $299,709,916 up 26% from 2004 at
$219,858,464.
Ohioans support Lake Erie protection and restoration. Currently
there is bi-partisan support at the local, state and federal level for
protecting Lake Erie and all of the Great Lakes from drilling. The
Ohio Environmental Council is working in coalition with federal,
state, and local officials, organizations, citizens and elected
officials, including U.S. Senators DeWine and Voinovich and
Representatives Brown, Kaptur, Kucinich, LaTourette, Ryan and
Strickland, to secure billions of dollars in federal funding to
restore Lake Erie and all of the Great Lakes. "By opening up Lake
Erie for drilling, and/or by proposing any weakening of
protections for the lake, we could stand to lose out on an historic
opportunity to obtain funding for Lake Erie restoration projects
such as sewer infrastructure upgrades which would stop sewer
overflows that dump raw, untreated human waste into our
waterways."
If the General Assembly truly wants to equip Ohioans with
the tools and resources for future winters, then they should
be committed to energy efficiency and consumer
conservation. According to a 2004 study commissioned by
the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, Ohio can achieve $3 billion in
natural gas and electric savings in 10 years, create 5,300 new
jobs, and add $100 million in payroll through an aggressive
statewide energy efficiency program, having a much bigger
impact on heating costs than through increases in the gas
supply. Ohio can’t drill its way out of rising natural gas
prices.
Together we can ensure the health of Ohio’s natural
heritage, health, and economy.
To get involved please contact:
Kristy Meyer, Ohio Environmental Council
1207 Grandview Ave., Ste. 201, Columbus, OH 43212
PH: 614 487 7506 • F: 614 487 7510
E-mail: Kristy@TheOEC.org
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