Another setback for the Mahoning
Another setback for the Mahoning
It is sad for those of us who think there is still hope that future generations may have a Mahoning River clean enough to be used for recreational activities. Fifteen years ago I canoed from the B&O station in Youngstown up to the Girard viaduct and back and surprisingly the trip was very enjoyable. However I fear for the elderly gentleman I passed who was keeping the fish caught below one of the dams. But now we have another setback in the river cleanup in the local news associated with the D&L Energy site.
In December 2011 locally we had the last and largest in a series of earthquakes. The quakes were eventually associated with D&L Energy and its injection well, which was fed from the same brine storage tanks used by Hardrock Excavating to dump drilling waste into a sewer on D&L Energy property and into the Mahoning River. This quake occurred directly after the order was issued for D&L Energy to stop waste disposal into the well. Their storage tanks may have been full with more brine trucks en-route.
In a letter given to Rep. Hagan and members of city council I expressed my opinion that after the stop work order, D&L Energy pumped at higher than standard pressures into the injection well attempting to dispose of as much waste as it could before the final date on the stop work order. If correct, these higher pressures may have caused the quake activity that December. I am still wondering if my hunch is right.
Recent activities covered within the charges made against the owner of D&L Energy and Hardrock Excavating show we must all be vigilant. I do not take the anti-fracking position but welcome the exploration of natural gas in the region and the economic benefit that will follow. However every industry has its black side and both personal and legislative efforts are necessary to keep the industry on a positive track. My thanks to the one who made the anonymous call and alerted the proper authorities of the dumping of waste from the brine tanks.
Lee Arent, Youngstown