On January 9th TA OH attended a public open house for the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub or ARCH2 at Walsh University in North Canton, OH. 

While “Clean” is in the name, there is nothing clean about Hydrogen that is produced using fossil fuels.  The reality is that these hydrogen projects will be just one more excuse to continue to expand fracking in Ohio. 

Click here for News Coverage of the open house.   

Excerpted from Save Ohio Parks Email:

On January 2, fracking tanks on a well pad just five miles from Salt Fork State Park exploded. The local fire department closed area roads, and nearby residents were evacuated.

Due to extreme heat from the explosion, officials chose to let the fire – fueled by 100 barrels of liquid gas condensate – burn itself out over 18 hours. No testing was done of the air emissions, nor of the ground or water nearby.

This well pad explosion underscores just how dangerous fracking is to Ohio state parks and wildlife areas. Gulfport, the company that owns the well pad, had previously paid a $3.7 million settlement with the US EPA for pollution from 17 well pads in Ohio – including the one that blew up. It has a long track record of other accidents and incidents as well.

Yet an unnamed oil and gas company now wants to frack 4360 acres of Egypt Valley Wildlife Area. Tell the commission: No more leasing of public land to oil and gas!

Please visit the Nomination Comment Form, choose Nomination #24-DNR-0011, and submit your comment.

At 18,000 acres, Egypt Valley is one of the largest wildlife areas in Ohio. It is comprised of two large pieces of land situated north and south of Piedmont Lake in Belmont County. This nomination makes up much of the northern half of Egypt Valley.

Before the Ohio Department of Natural Resources acquired the land that became Egypt Valley in 1995, it had been subjected to decades of coal mining using some of the largest earth-moving equipment of the time. About 80% of the land was mined, and the scars are still visible today, as shown in the photo above.

Now Egypt Valley is a destination for hunters, hikers, birdwatchers, fishers, and people who love the outdoors. Deer, turkey, waterfowl, squirrel, grouse, rabbit, and dove are common, and ponds and lakes are stocked with bass, catfish, and bluegills. River otters were reintroduced to this area in 1993 and now a thriving population can be found there.

The last thing Egypt Valley Wildlife Area needs is fracking. Act now to tell the commission: No more leasing of public land to oil and gas!

You can use our sample letter — but please personalize to explain why preserving our wildlife areas is important to you:

To the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission:

I am writing to strongly oppose Nomination 24-DNR-0011 to frack 4360 acres of Egypt Valley Wildlife Area. This beautiful wildlife area is widely used for hunting, fishing, hiking, bird watching, photography, and site-seeing. None of this is compatible with the noise, toxic air pollution, methane leaks, lights, and numerous truck trips entailed in any fracking operation.

The recent explosion on Gulfport’s Groh well pad near Salt Fork State Park underscores how dangerous fracking is. The fire – fuled by 100 barrels of methane gas and condensate – was so hot that firefighters had no choice but to let it burn itself out over many hours. No testing for what was in the toxic cloud of smoke was done, nor was any ground or water testing done.

This is unacceptable anywhere, especially near our state parks and wildlife areas!

ODNR acquired the land that makes up Egypt Valley from The Conservation Fund, and it was meant to be protected. Numerous species call Egypt Valley home, including deer, turkey, squirrel, grouse, rabbit, and dove, and rare species like the short-eared owl, Northern harrier, Henslow’s sparrow, and bobolink. Bald eagles and osprey often stop there. River otters were reintroduced to this area in 1993 and now a thriving population can be found there.

At the center of Egypt Valley Wildlife Area is Piedmont Lake, popular with boaters, fishers, and swimmers. Fracking uses tens of millions of gallons of fresh water for each well pad, turning it into toxic radioactive waste that must be disposed of forever. Taking that much water from Piedmont Lake or the surrounding ponds and streams will degrade the habitat forever.

The people of Ohio pay for and use our public lands, including Egypt Valley Wildlife Area. We do not want to see any more oil and gas extraction from this land. Enough is enough. Please DENY nomination 24-DNR-0011, and protect Egypt Valley as it was meant to be.

Thank you.

Oil & Gas Land Management Commission December 9th Meeting 

At the December 9th OGLMC meeting, Commissioners approved fracking of almost 900 more acres including two large tracts of Salt Fork State Park and Egypt Valley Wildlife Areas.  These public lands are all located in Appalachian Ohio, long targeted as a sacrifice zone for the fossil fuel industry.  Some of the media coverage Ohio Capital Journal, Cleveland.com.

December 2024 Third Act All-in and Impact Report

In case you missed it, listen to the recording of Third Act’s December All-In Call where Bill McKibben and Central Staff discussed some new and big ideas on how we can maximize impact and build real power in spite of the new administration.

The 2024 Impact Report showcases the impact of your support, from halting fossil fuel projects to mobilizing thousands of elders to protect democracy and fight for climate justice.  Together, we’ve built a movement powered by experience, wisdom, and purpose.

New York Climate Change Superfund Sit-In and Signing

From our Third Act New York friends:  The Climate Change Superfund Act was finally signed into law by Governor Hochul in NY after many climate organizations throughout New York and the region mobilized for the sit-in at the state capitol building in Albany.  See the Third Act Press Release on this fantastic win.

Working group meetings are the second Tuesday of each month from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

See you there.

Tell Mike DeWine: Veto HB 308!

The Ohio state legislature has done it again.

Two years ago, lawmakers stuffed House Bill 507, a bill about how many poultry chicks could be sold in a batch, with unrelated amendments – at the last minute during lame duck session, with no notice or chance for people to comment. One of those amendments REQUIRED fracking our state parks.

Last week, during the 2024 lame duck session, legislators stuffed HB 308 – a bill that declares nuclear energy to be “green” – with a series of amendments, during its last committee hearing, again with no public notice or chance to comment.

This time, one of the amendments extends fracking leases for our state parks and public lands from three years to five years, with an option to extend for another three years – meaning that every lease doled out to the oil and gas industry allows them to frack our state parks and wildlife areas for up to EIGHT years.

Also last week, the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission approved two more nominations to frack Salt Fork State Park, and gave the bid to frack Egypt Valley Wildlife Area to Gulfport Appalachia – whose parent company had to pay over $3.7 million for pollution from its fracking operations in Ohio, and whose bid paperwork shows lapsed insurance.

Now these reckless and unscrupulous companies could be fracking our parks and wildlife areas for eight long years for each oil and gas lease – even as our public comments were 98% opposed to fracking Salt Fork.

The people of Ohio do not want our parks, wildlife areas, and public lands fracked.

Save Ohio Parks will continue the fight to protect our climate, health, environment, and public lands.

PLEASE TELL MIKE DEWINE: VETO HB 308!

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Series Topics 

Series Introduction

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Summary

Rewire America IRA Calculator

Energy Audits and Energy Efficiency

Electric Vehicles

Solar Panels

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Heat Pumps

Heat Pump Water Heaters

Heat Pump Clothes Dryers and Induction Ranges

Rebates and Credits

Community Solar

CRP Electrification Resources

Community Climate Action Plans

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For questions, comments, or to provide testimonials, additions to vendor list above or good resources for future topics etc. contact ohio@thirdact.org .  Brought to you by THIRD ACT OHIO’s Democratizing Energy Committee