Ohio Becomes Dumping Ground for Pennsylvania Fracking Wastewater, Raising Water Safety Concerns
Pennsylvania is increasingly exporting the environmental consequences of its robust natural gas industry, sending large volumes of oil and gas wastewater to neighboring Ohio for disposal – a practice sparking alarm among local officials and residents concerned about the safety of their drinking water sources. Millions of gallons of wastewater, a byproduct of fracking, are being injected into underground wells, particularly in southeast Ohio, as Pennsylvania remains one of the nation’s leading natural gas producers.
A Growing Environmental Burden
Community advocates report that Washington County, Ohio, has become a focal point for wastewater that other states actively restrict or prohibit. This influx places a disproportionate environmental burden on communities distant from the original drilling sites.
“We’re getting shipments of fracking waste from Pennsylvania, West Virginia – all the other states that don’t allow it in their state,” said a community organizer with Washington County for Safe Drinking Water. Residents are growing increasingly concerned about both the sheer volume of waste and its origins.
According to Ohio local officials, Washington County currently hosts 19 permitted Class II injection wells. Critically, several of these wells are situated in close proximity to public drinking water sources, amplifying the potential for contamination.
Regional Water Safety at Risk
The concerns extend beyond Ohio’s borders. A Marietta City Council president explained that the aquifers feeding these communities span state lines, creating a broader regional water safety issue. Decisions regarding wastewater disposal, made hundreds of miles away in Pennsylvania, are directly impacting the potential for safe water access for communities across multiple states.
“With the volumes that are being injected so close to our aquifers, I think that it’s an inevitability that something very, very bad and irreversible [could] happen,” the council president stated.
Ohio city officials are now calling for a temporary halt to the issuance of new injection well permits near vulnerable aquifers. Simultaneously, advocates are urging residents of Pennsylvania to become more informed about the ultimate destination of drilling waste and the associated long-term environmental risks.
[Image of Pennsylvania has far fewer underground Class II injection wells than neighboring Ohio, which has become a major destination for oil and gas wastewater disposal from surrounding states, according to the Environmental Protection Agency and state regulatory data. (Adobe Stock)]
The situation underscores a critical challenge in the energy sector: the need for responsible waste management practices that prioritize the protection of vital water resources and the health of communities, even those geographically removed from the source of the waste.
