Hubbard trustees take a stand

Hubbard trustees take a stand

I attended a special Hubbard Township meeting Dec. 13 at which Thomas Tomastik, a geologist from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, gave an informative presentation about the structure and the operation of shale gas drilling injection wells. He was also obligated to listen to the people in attendance and consider objections to issuing a permit to install such a well in Hubbard Township. Every objection was valid. Some were based on health and safety concerns. Some were based on traffic concerns; and others, on property values and beauty.

I admire the conscientious dedication of the three Hubbard Township trustees. They all literally stood up to Mr.Tomastik and the representative from D & L Energy Company. They firmly expressed common-sense reasons why they object to issuing the permit. Trustee Fred Hanley clearly stated the basic problem: Ohio is taking away the human rights of the people who live in his township and sacrificing them to the rights of the gas industry. I believe that corrupt government officials and powerful, greedy businessmen are violating the basic concept of democracy.

Ohio has a lot to be proud of: Eight U.S. presidents — William Henry Harrison, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, McKinley, Taft, and Harding — and our own environmentalist-educator William Holmes McGuffey. Ohio should also be proud of the Hubbard Township trustees for doing their job of working for the people of their township. These trustees are the real “patriots” because they are upholding the basic concept of democracy that government should be “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

I lived in New Bedford, Pa. Someone asked me why I came across the state line to attend the meeting in Hubbard, Ohio. I answered, “True democracy has no borders, and we live downstream.”

Steven J. Beck ,West Middlesex, Pa.