County officials want tougher Ohio regs on brine-injection wells

WARREN — About 70 people from as far away as Athens, Ohio, attended a meeting today intended to bring clout to the counties that have experienced the ill effects of brine injection wells.

Dominic Marchese, a Johnston Township trustee, said he feels like Ohio is “becoming the new Mexico,” because Ohio receives so much brine waste from Pennsylvania gas and oil wells, and Pennsylvania has the second-most gas and oil production in the United States behind Texas.

Texas takes its brine waste to Mexico, he said.

Trumbull County has 19 brine injection wells, the most in Ohio, and Pennsylvania has only 13 in the whole state, said Jack Simon, who handles gas- and oil-related matters for the county engineer’s office.

The seven counties with the most brine injection were invited to send a representative to the meeting.

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