oil and gas drilling
‘Falsified’ public comments loom over Ohio state parks drilling decisions
An Ohio commission is poised to rule on proposals to drill under state parks and wildlife areas before the conclusion of an investigation into fabricated public comments submitted in favor of the proposals. The Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission deferred a decision Monday in order to allow more time to consider the lease […]
Biden administration cancels last leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The Biden administration on Wednesday announced it is canceling the last remaining oil and gas leases in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Those seven leases, all held by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority and sold in a controversial auction held in the last days of former President Donald Trump’s […]
Ohio commission considers state park drilling requests under expedited timeline
A state commission will soon decide whether to greenlight drilling for natural gas under Ohio state parks, wildlife areas, and other state-owned lands. Ohio’s Oil & Gas Land Management Commission is currently considering a dozen applications to extract natural gas from state property under new rules adopted pursuant to a state law that requires it […]
Environmental experts warn fracking on state lands in Ohio is dangerous, economically dubious
The Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission heard from three environmentally-minded experts Wednesday skeptical of opening state lands to exploration. They argued the industry is downplaying risks and the strain on resources while offering an overly optimistic outlook. Silverio Caggiano spends a lot of time thinking about worst case scenarios. The retired Youngstown Fire […]
Bidding begins for oil and gas leases on public land in Ohio
The commission in charge of leasing mineral rights on state land in Ohio has begun accepting applications. They’ve already received eight proposals, and the commission plans to post the applications once they’ve reviewed them. Lawmakers set up the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission more than a decade ago. They charged the five-member commission with […]
Don’t frack our state parks to fund tax cuts for the rich
Some of my fondest memories have been in Ohio’s state parks, forests, and wildlife areas. Deer Creek, Hocking Hills, Shawnee, Maumee Bay, Kelleys Island, Mohican, and more I have yet to visit – all are treasures showing Ohio is home not just to cities, industry and cornfields, but true natural beauty and biodiversity. But all […]
Oil and gas commission looking to lawmakers for increased royalties, fees
The commission in charge of new rules for leasing Ohio’s state lands to oil and gas companies will seek legislative tweaks to award leases through bidding and to allow for more lucrative royalties. Meanwhile, the commission is pushing forward with a standard lease form over the objections of environmentalists. They worry that, despite repeated statements […]
Commission advances rules, leasing forms for drilling on Ohio’s state lands
Environmentalists demanded public input and oversight before oil and gas companies gain clearance to drill on public lands. The five-member oil and gas land management commission heard public comment Wednesday before approving a new standard lease form and rules. The process to lease public lands for oil and gas exploration has been exceptionally slow. Lawmakers […]
GOP U.S. House passes bill opening more public land to development if reserve oil is tapped
U.S. House Republicans passed a bill Friday to force the White House to make more federal land and waters available for oil and gas development if the president orders the withdrawal of more oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The bill, passed 221-205, mostly along party lines, would strip the president’s power to remove oil from […]
States that limit business with banks that boycott fossil fuels could pay high cost, study says
Republican state policymakers’ efforts to boost fossil fuels by prohibiting their governments from doing business with companies that take sustainability into consideration has the potential to cost states millions, according to a study released last Thursday. Researchers looked specifically at the possible effects on Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and West Virginia if they passed […]
Ohio ‘green’ natural gas bill motivated by ESG investing concerns, lawmaker says
The author of an Ohio amendment that would classify natural gas as “green energy” said he hopes the legislation can help companies meet ESG investing standards. ESG refers to environmental, social and governance practices. ESG investing generally limits financing choices to companies or funds that meet certain criteria for those categories. The practice has been […]
Why Ohio’s top oil and gas producing counties continue to lag in jobs
A decade after the start of Ohio’s shale gas boom, counties with the most oil and gas production continue to have higher-than-average unemployment rates. A review of state data shows that unemployment rates in Belmont, Carroll, Guernsey, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe, and Noble Counties have exceeded the statewide average every year since 2010, casting doubt on […]