Brookfield residents against 2 proposed injection wells

BROOKFIELD — About 40 people turned out tonight for the Brookfield Township trustees meeting, most of them residents of the Wyngate Manor manufactured home community off state Route 7 looking to know if anything can be done to stop two injection wells proposed for land next to them.

The trustees read a letter they wrote to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources opposing the two Highland Field Services wells, primarily on the grounds that they might contaminate the drinking water for many township residents and because of the additional truck traffic that will be using state Route 7 if the wells are authorized.

The letter pointed to a 1941 ODNR study indicating there are 33 known abandoned coal mines in Trumbull and Mahoning counties that could contribute to contamination of groundwater as a result of injection wells being used in Brookfield.

One woman in the audience wanted to know why the letter didn’t mention the potential for injection wells to cause earthquakes, and Trustee Dion Magestro agreed that earthquakes should be mentioned in the letter, so it will be revised, he said.

Trustee Ron Haun told residents, however, the chances of the letter stopping the injection well from operating are “nil to zilch,” adding, “This is all regulated by the ODNR.”

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