Dear governor, let's not let fracking ruin small businesses

To the Editor:

This is an open letter to Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Dear Gov. Kasich, as an Athens County citizen and native Ohioan, I am writing you to share my grave concern about the future of Athens County should the horizontal fracturing (HF) industry begin operations here.

Below is a list of financial, environmental, safety and quality-of-life issues directly related to HF. I believe the likely negative consequences to our community warrant a moratorium on HF for all of Athens County.

Destruction of the expanding and successful local food economy, farmers market and subsequent homeland security (30-Mile Meal) built by 130-plus local food partners over the past 40 years.

Loss of Organic certification of farms due to HF pollution.

Loss of tourism dollars and revenues for Ohio University and the city and county of Athens due to destruction of local natural beauty and habitat, pollution (see below), lack of available hotel rooms due to long-term leasing for visiting workers, destruction of recreation locations (hunting, fishing, boating, hiking, swimming, trail riding) and hilltop removal.

Air, water, noise, dust, trash, industrial light pollution during HF well pad, compressor station and gas line construction 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Roadway destruction and consequent delay and continuous repair.

Loss of farmland and woodlands used for private sustainable living. Landowner requirement to pay property taxes on unusable land due to misunderstanding of leases signed with HF companies.

Loss of clean water due to lack of regulation and oversight during all phases of HF with subsequent water dependency.

Traffic congestion.

Increase in semi-trailer truck and company vehicle accidents. Three hundred accidents occurred in a six-month period in Wetzel County, W.Va., due to road slippage, rural roads not incompatible with industrial traffic, frequent and extreme curves in roadways, weather conditions. Athens County has roadway conditions similar to Wetzel County.

Rerouting of EMS, fire department and law enforcement due to impasse with semi-trailer trucks and lack of communication between construction companies and local 911. (Truck accidents in Wetzel County, W.Va., are often not reported to 911.)

School-bus impasse with semi-trailer trucks.

Danger to children at rural school-bus stops with heavy truck traffic.

Decrease in property values due to industrialization of an area prized for its natural beauty and the recreation and lifestyle that come with it.

In your Common Sense Initiative you state: Small businesses are the economic engine of the economy. The vast majority of businesses in Ohio, and throughout the country, are small businesses. Small businesses are a vital component in creating new jobs and fostering innovation.

We already have the innovative people and small businesses you mention. Common sense tells me that destruction of the very land our business owners depend on does not contribute to the economic development of Ohio.

Celia Wetzel
Baker Road
Albany