After a petition by community members gained nearly 2,000 signatures during the summer, city council passed a charter amendment for a ban on hydraulic fracturing in Bowling Green.
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the process of obtaining pockets of natural gas in deposits of shale rock by blasting tons of a water, sand and chemical mixture into the ground to fracture the rock and let the gas escape to the surface. This process leaves lots of harmful waste water that can seep into natural aquifers and ruin water resources.
Currently there is no fracking in Bowling Green or Wood County.
The amendment will be placed on the November ballot for the community to vote on. The amendment was passed because enough signatures were gathered on a petition to be added to the ballot, said John Zanfardino, council president.
Although council passed the amendment 7-0, it was not without debate from citizens and union leaders.
Both Scott Lopez and John Schlagheck, union leaders of manufacturing and building unions, argued that it would take jobs away in northwest Ohio.
“If you paint the [fracking] industry with a broad brush, you will lose all the benefits that come with it,” Lopez said referring to the manufacturing jobs that fracking could bring to the area.
While it was acknowledged that most fracking occurs in northeast Ohio, Council Member Robert McOmber questioned whether jobs would be impacted in northwest Ohio since the ban would only be in the city limits and not the area.
Citizens argued that jobs could be lost if fracking happened in town.
“The residents would move away and hurt business,” said resident Lisa Kochheiser during the meeting. “The city needs to provide the clean and safe resources expected.”
Though city council passed the charter, members of the council implored the community to further research all aspects of fracking and the charter.
“It’s important for people within the community to understand to look at different perspectives,” said Rob Piasecki, Fourth Ward council member. “I challenge people to educate themselves on the history of the city charter and not just the fracking ban but also the unintended consequences coming from it.”
