FrackFree Mahoning Valley calls for audit of ODNR

YOUNGSTOWN — FrackFree Mahoning Valley and other community activists plan to unveil a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calling on it to conduct a full audit of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources injection well control program.

The parties plan a press conference Monday, with the hopes the agency will conduct an independent investigation of the ODNR program.

They will also ask the agency to suspend ODNR’s authority to administer regulations at injection wells in the state.

According to press release Friday, the groups say recent state and federal investigations involving Youngstown businesses D&L Energy and Hardrock Excavating after an illegal brine-dumping incident at the companies’ headquarters in January, prompted them to consider such steps.