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1. Poster highlights Athens’ pub scene2. County Engineer: Missing records from predecessor mean $300K in federal reimbursement on hold3. Don’t lose track of the fundamental mission of the Athens Farmers Market – local food4. Escalating the war on hunger 5. Free-speech protest at market not met with vendor applause6. Youngstown voters shoot down anti-fracking ballot measure7. Glass Harp ruled NE Ohio once upon a time8. New local summer street bash to help feed hungry9. Lenders unaware of business buyer’s out-of-state drug case10. City backs statewide injection-well ban11. Athens Voice 5-13-1312. Group signs on locals to test air quality near injection wells13. OU scientists make primate evolution discovery14. Man says county making progress on chronic thievery in Rome Twp.15. Athens Voice 5-9-1316. Let Farmers Market get back to core function, local food17. Athens Voice 5-16-1318. Future of solar and wind energy on an ever-hotter planet19. Squabbling over use of OU’s Ridges nothing new20. Athens-based prof does his part to help rebels in his native Syria
Sunday, February 24,2013
Frack waste is hazardous waste, no doubt about it
To the Editor:
I was privileged to be a part of the protest that took place on Tuesday at the Green Hunter frack waste temporary storage facility in Washington County. There were more than 100 people protesting, some from the Athens area, but most from various different parts of the country – even from Canada.
This shows that fracking and its related activities are not something that just a few vocal locals are concerned about, but that many people from all over the place have witnessed the devastation that takes place when fracking comes to or near an area. What they have witnessed has awakened a deep concern in those people, so much as to motivate some of them to travel thousands of miles to peacefully protest this violent act that our state's governing officials are welcoming with open arms.
At last week's protest, there were 10 people arrested – seemingly at random – while the true criminals (those who are participating in the import of out-of-state hazardous waste, to later be spread on our roads and dumped in our ground) were being protected by the police. It was a shame, but it is a cause worth fighting for. We will not give in or give up!
What prompted me to write this letter, however, was not Tuesday's protest, but an experience that my wife had at her oral surgeon's office last week, when she had to get some teeth pulled. So, her teeth were pulled, and for memory's sake she asked for her teeth, so that she could keep them and show her family when she got home. What was their response? They said no, but their reason is what was shocking, not their answer. They told my wife that her pulled teeth were legally considered to be – get this – "hazardous waste," just in case she had a disease or something she didn't tell them about. Yes, they said, "hazardous waste," and they said, "just in case."
Now, connecting the dots here, since it is not merely a "just in case" scenario that frack waste fluids contain many, many deadly chemicals, but rather it has been proven time and time again that they do contain them, don't you think that it's totally irresponsible of our legislators to NOT consider that stuff to be hazardous waste? Seriously, think about it. Pulled teeth equals hazardous waste, highly carcinogenic toxic frack fluid equals an excellent de-icer for our roads. Talk about willful ignorance!
A landowner who would never sign a lease,
Smiles Welch
Old Rt. 33
Athens
Also in Letters:
Athens Transit should consider bus stop location on South CourtBeing able to sleep a higher priority than letting your dogs barkThanks, motorheads, for disturbed the peace at Strouds RunSpeech controversy at Market may be over, but issue sure isn’tVillage may finally become accountable for its actionsLocal man explains his reasons for one-man protest at MarketThis is the month to celebrate foster parents and familesProtester was a distraction from real issue about nature of Farmers MarketFriends Meeting affirms its welcome of LGBT worshippersNews media seem to have a bias when it comes to tea party
Sigh. Organic produce contains dangerous chemicals. Not in life-threatening amounts, but they're there. Fracking fluid has the same type of low-level chemicals. It is made with food additives. You can drink it (indeed, many have). It is less dangerous than the chemicals used in the mining of the rare earth minerals used in wind turbines and solar panels.
Everything you hear is anecdotal. There is no 100% proof that Fracking is dangerous. If there were, it would be banned or regulated by the federal government.
"Highly carcinogenic" fracking fluid? No.
I dare you leftists to actually educate yourself. You fear your world crumbling down around you when your long-held utopian socialist beliefs are threatened, but if you really want change in this world, if you really care about the environment, you'll follow truth, not scare-mongering.
Welcome to the fire and brimstone alarmism of the environmental movement. It isn't rooted in truth, just fear and hatred of human behavior.
Watch FrackNation, which has more scientific truth in it than anything I've read in the News.
James,
Admit it, you're pro-fracking 'cause you percieve the anti-frack group of all being liberals. Far from the reality. I'd rather they prove it's 100% safe, but you/they can't, because it's already proven not to be. Here's some "anectdotal" info worth reading. http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_27073.cfm
In the mean time, you can drink the water if you wish.