Help Stop Fracking Waste Injection Well-legal fund
We are residents of Brookfield, Ohio and the surrounding area who have been lawfully opposing five (yes, five!) proposed toxic fracking waste injection wells planned to be constructed and operated way too near family homes, a stream, businesses, and government buildings in a region that we believe is now man-made earthquake-prone and is an abandoned coal mine area.
Will you please help us stop this insanity?
Gloria Douglas is a grandmother who has lived in her beloved Wyngate Manor home for 31years. Gloria calls it her “forever-home” because she can’t imagine ever having to leave the home she’s lovingly cared for and lived in all these years.[1] Her home is in the above image which is courtesy of Ted Auch, Great Lakes Program Coordinator, The Fractracker Alliance, www.fractracker.org
Gloria’s home is way too close to waste injection well number five – the one we are currently trying to lawfully stop. (Please see videos included in the blog post cited in this endnote number 2).[2]
There are hundreds of homes with families living nearby in Brookfield. It is tragic and astonishing that this heavy industrial injection well operation could even happen to the hundreds of people who live so close to this injection well.
******IMPORTANT Update! February 10, 2019 ******
***The oil and gas company has intervened into the citizens' legal action against the state! ***
The people must now face, in their legal appeal, the resources of the state AND the oil and gas company, Highland Field Services, a subsidiary of Seneca Resources.. Amazing!
So.........the citizens really need your financial help to keep their legal appeal going. We can speak with a loud voice on behalf of all people living near oil and gas processes and infrastructure by keeping this legal action going. We are grateful for any donation, large or small.
This injustice must stop now, and let it start at Brookfield.
This should not be happening. There are too many unacceptable risks to water, air, and land posed by this injection well. Our region has already experienced man-made earthquakes due to injection wells and fracking, so the risk of seismicity is increased in our area.
Brookfield injection well number five is only about 10 miles from the site of a now-famous, magnitude 4.0 man-made Youngstown, Ohio earthquake, in 2011, that scientists linked to an injection well. Brookfield is only 10.5 miles from another injection well in nearby Weathersfield Township that the state closed down in 2014 due to induced earthquakes linked to the injection well and to protect the public health and safety of the community.
Weathersfield experienced over 108 tremors near that injection well, as of last count, involving two faults.[3]
Obviously, there is now a history of induced earthquakes in this region associated with waste injection wells and hydraulic fracturing.
Brookfield’s school is only 1.6 miles from injection well number five - again, way too close.
Many residents are worried about risks posed by injection wells to their drinking water, which for some is well water.
How could anyone think that placing well number five here is a good or safe idea? It is not.
Nevertheless, the state of Ohio and the injection well owner are going full-steam ahead with injection well number five, anyway, despite science and despite the community’s strong opposition including peaceful protests, prayer vigils, a panel discussion, news releases, a petition signed by hundreds of Brookfield residents, town hall-style meetings, letters and objections by local government leaders and officials, and resident letters and objections, and … on and on and on.
Despite our efforts to lawfully stop the five proposed wells to protect public health, safety and welfare, on October 24, 2018, the state of Ohio gave permission to Highland Field Services, a Seneca Resources subsidiary, to inject waste into one of their proposed injection wells – well number five.
We cannot let our community become a dumping ground for toxic fracking waste. We are not expendable. No one anywhere is expendable.
In a first for the state and with the skilled representation of the nonprofit law firm, Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services , residents have filed a first-of-its-kind appeal in Ohio by citizens of an injection permit that the state of Ohio (ODNR) recently issued so that well number five can dispose of toxic waste.[4]
But, we need your help to continue our legal action.
The time-stamped, PDF copy of the appeal can be found here:
http://www.frackfreeamerica.org/uploads/1/2/4/0/12404661/stamped_notice_of_appeal.pdf
Our appeal of the injection well permit was filed on November 20, 2018.
We are trying to protect the public health, safety, welfare, and environment of our community and our entire region in an effort to avoid potential man-made earthquakes and potential water contamination and other risks to air, water, and land posed by injection wells.
As described above, our area has already experienced man-made earthquakes that scientists link to injection wells and also hydraulic fracturing (fracking). In 2015, nearby Vienna, Ohio experienced a devastating spill, linked to an injection well that destroyed two wetlands and a pond.[5]
Now this.
But, we will not give up. These are our homes and our region. We live here.
Would you please help us to lawfully attempt to stop this injection well?
Stopping this injection well will help to protect the entire region, Ohio, and surrounding states, from potential man-made earthquakes and unacceptable risks to water, air, and land. Injection well-related, man-made quakes in Oklahoma have reached magnitudes of 5.7 and possibly 5.8.
Your donation will be used to help pay for our legal representation by Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services, and also for transcribing costs and other fees associated with litigation.
Your donation will also help us engage expert witnesses to testify at an upcoming hearing before the Ohio Oil and Gas Commission in Columbus, Ohio.
We are also grateful to the Buckeye Environmental Network (BEN), who is collecting donations for the legal fund. Buckeye Environmental Network is a nonprofit, tax-exempt, 501 (c) (3) organization. ( www.benohio.org )
Donations for the Brookfield “Stop the injection well” legal fund will be deposited into a bank account owned and controlled by Buckeye Environmental Network (BEN). BEN will retain 10 percent of the donations collected for their handling of the legal fund.
Buckeye Environmental Network will then send donations to Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services, a nonprofit, tax exempt, 501(c) (3) public interest law firm.
Each month, as legal bills become due, Buckeye Environmental Network will write checks to Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services for Fair Shakes’ legal work, fees, and legal costs on behalf of our legal action by appellants, Brookfield Citizens Against Injection Wells,[6] and residents Gloria Douglas and William Sawtelle, who both live very near injection well number five.[7]
Buckeye Environmental Network will send accounting updates to the appellants once a month.
All donation amounts, small or large, will be greatly appreciated and used wisely. Even one dollar, five dollars, or more will help.
We greatly appreciate your help!!
Would you please also share this GoFundMe request widely with others who you think would be interested in donating to the cause? For more information, please see the website of Brookfield Citizens Against Injection Wells at:
https://stopfrackingwasteneohio.blogspot.com/
Together, we can make a big positive difference and have a loud voice saying why this injection well must be lawfully stopped! Thank You!
Donate: https://gf.me/u/qb6n2d
OR
MAIL check or M.O. made out to: Buckeye Environmental Network
IMPORTANT!!! you must write on the check’s memo line:
“Brookfield legal fund”!
mail to:
Buckeye Environmental Network
PO Box 824
Athens, OH 45701
cash accepted / more info, please call (234) 201-8007
Notes:
[1] “Brookfield residents rally to stop injection wells,” by Michael Roknick, The Herald (Sharon, PA), April 7, 2018 https://www.sharonherald.com/news/local_news/brookfield-residents-rally-to-stop-injection-wells/article_c9d67d66-3a16-11e8-a151-93733b6a553b.html ;
“Brookfield one step away from getting more injection wells,” 21 WFMJ – TV News, by Glenn Stevens, March 21, 2018, http://www.wfmj.com/story/37779520/brookfield-one-step-away-from-getting-more-injection-wells
[2] “Fracking waste injection wells proposed to be sited way too near family homes, businesses and government buildings: A heartfelt plea for help to lawfully stop them, Blog post, Frackfree America National Coalition, January 19,2018 http://www.frackfreeamerica.org/blog/fracking-waste-injection-wells-proposed-to-be-sited-way-too-near-family-homes-businesses-and-government-buildings-a-heartfelt-plea-for-help-to-lawfully-stop-them
[3] “Induced seismicity associated with fluid injection into a deep well in Youngstown, Ohio, by Won-Young Kim, June 19, 2013 https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jgrb.50247
“Ohio halts injections at two wells for fracking wastewater after quake,” Times-Gazette, September 6, 2014, https://www.times-gazette.com/content/stories/local/2014/09/06/ohio-halts-2-wells-for-fracking-wastewater-after-quake.html
[4] “Brookfield residents file appeal in attempt to stop injection well,” by Samantha Phillips, The Vindicator, December 8, 2018 https://www.vindy.com/news/2018/dec/08/brookfield-injection-well-discussions-ov/
[5] [Includes news video] “Hundreds attend public meeting on Vienna oil spill, by Derrick Lewis, WKBN – TV 27, April 5, 2015 https://www.wkbn.com/local-news/public-meeting-set-in-vienna-to-discuss-chemical-spill/1124457019
[6] Website of Brookfield Citizens Against Injection Wells:
https://stopfrackingwasteneohio.blogspot.com/
[7] Residents, officials express concerns regarding proposed Brookfield injection wells, by Ed Runyan, The Vindicator, February 19, 2017, http://www.vindy.com/news/2017/feb/19/plans-for-injection-wells-spur-concerns/
Above image courtesy of Ted Auch, Great Lakes Program Coordinator, The Fractracker Alliance, www.fractracker.org
Gloria’s home is way too close to waste injection well number five – the one we are currently trying to lawfully stop.
4 clips in this 2018-2019 video (6 minutes): Fracking waste injection well noise, traffic way too close to Brookfield residents' homes
Can also be viewed on YouTube at:
An important update regarding a fracking waste injection well legal battle to lawfully stop an injection well!!
The injection well in question is located in Brookfield, Ohio, a residential area that is way too close to an area known for injection well – related, man-made earthquakes!
It is astonishing and unconscionable that this situation can even be happening in the small town of Brookfield, Ohio.
Here is the update regarding our legal action / appeal of an injection well permit issued by the state:
We need your help, please, as we lawfully fight for the peoples’ right to live free of this toxic fracking waste injection well site encroachment on their public health and safety, their rights to their way of life and on their right to maintain their private property rights and values, and to protect their safe drinking water!!
If we can succeed here, we believe this will be helpful for anyone, anywhere, who is lawfully opposing unjust and unsafe injection wells or other oil and gas related infrastructure.
We are attempting, through this legal action, to get the state to revoke its injection permit for a fracking waste injection well that is in an area that is way too close to an area of known man-made earthquake activity and also way too close to where people are trying to live their lives free of heavy industrial operations practically in the midst of where their homes exist.
No one knows for sure where all of the faults might lie that could cause potential man-made earthquakes related to injection wells and/or fracking. Therefore, we believe that siting injection wells, without knowing where the faults are, is really a form of gambling with public health and safety. That is unacceptable.
How large might the potential induced earthquakes get in magnitude? This is unknown, too. There has already been a magnitude 4.0 man-made earthquake not far from Brookfield, that occurred in Youngstown, Ohio in 2011. This 2011 quake was linked to an injection well.
Man-made quakes related to injection wells in Oklahoma have reached magnitude 5.7 and possibly magnitude 5.8.
This is highly unacceptable. Sleep and way of life of the nearby Brookfield residents are unjustly disturbed. Important questions about the injection well site go unanswered causing tremendous stress and strain for the many people who live there, and even in the region.
This is absolutely not right and is a violation of Brookfield residents’ rights, and their right, and the region’s right, to maintain and protect public health and safety, and to uphold private property rights and values.
We are now in the discovery phase and the deposition phase of this legal action. Depositions are set for May. We must respond to questions sent to us by ODNR and also by Highland Field Services, a subsidiary of Seneca Resources, the owner of the injection well in question.
This means that not only are we facing the huge financial resources of the state of Ohio, we are also facing the enormous financial resources of the large oil and gas company who was allowed to intervene into our legal action.
But, we citizens are doing this!! We will not give up even in the face of this strong opposition. We cannot let this potentially highly damaging situation continue. People are living way too near to this injection operation, which was originally planned by Highland Field Services (a subsidiary of Seneca Resources) to be comprised of five (yes, five!) injection wells.
So, we are asking for your help. We have a great environmental law firm who has taken our case. They are doing a fantastic job, and we are very grateful!
But, we need your continued help with the funding for expert witnesses, depositions, attorney fees, and other normal costs associated with litigation.
Any donation amount – large or small - of even just one dollar or so - will add up and be greatly appreciated and used wisely in our legal battle that we hope will help all of us who are engaged in similar situations, since it will be an example of where the people --we hope -- prevail against daunting odds.
And, would you please share this Gofundme page widely on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media, and with your friends and family who might be interested in helping this important effort succeed?
Just sharing this information, even if you cannot make a donation now, is tremendously helpful, too.
Here is part of what your generous donations have helped us to accomplish – the appeal document:
The time-stamped, PDF copy of the appeal can be found here:
http://www.frackfreeamerica.org/uploads/1/2/4/0/12404661/stamped_notice_of_appeal.pdf
If you prefer to mail in a donation, here is the information for that:
MAIL check or Money Order made out to: Buckeye Environmental Network
IMPORTANT!!! You must write on the check’s memo line:
“Brookfield legal fund”!
Mail to:
Buckeye Environmental Network
PO Box 824
Athens, OH 45701
cash accepted / more info, please call (234) 201-8007
Thank you in advance for your donations and for sharing this Gofundme page and spreading the word. We are extremely grateful to all who have donated, and we hope that you will please consider helping us succeed once again.
Together, we can do this!! Thank you!!
Here is the link to use for your donation:
https://www.gofundme.com/help-stop-fracking-waste-injection-well-legal-fund/donate
To share our Gofundme page please click on the following link: https://www.gofundme.com/help-stop-fracking-waste-injection-well-legal-fund
