D&L Energy Group disputes comments from Ohio Oil and Gas Association official

YOUNGSTOWN — D&L Energy Group, a member of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, released a statement today that expressed disagreement with comments made Monday by Tom Stewart, OOGA executive vice president.

Stewart told The Vindicator he was “frustrated” with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources regarding its handling of the earthquake-brine-injection-well situation in Youngstown.

“State government knew that those quakes were happening,” Stewart said. “They essentially knew why the problems were happening and didn’t take, in a timely manner, in my view, the actions necessary to stop that from happening.”

D&L, however, issued this statement: “The complexity of these issues require time and study to understand. Aware there is a commonly held assumption that the location of D&L’s Ohio Works brine-injection well may have a connection to seismic activity, ODNR directed D&L to develop a study that will employ sound science in the search for answers.

“The preliminary phases of that comprehensive study have been — and continue to be — under way and D&L is cooperating fully with ODNR.”

A D&L injection well is suspected of triggering 12 Mahoning Valley earthquakes since last March.

Injection wells are a disposal method for brine, a salty, chemical byproduct of natural-gas and oil drilling.

For the complete story, read Wednesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com