Monday, July 2, 2012

Attempting to "Stop the Frack Attack" in Athens, OH

Madelline ffitch (sic.) at the Ladd Ridge Road Injection Well Site photo courtesy of Eco Watch:  http://ecowatch.org/2012/ohio-woman-arrested/

As I was killing some time in Athens, OH recently  between my classes, I picked up the Athens News because of the cover: "Fracking Protester Peacefully Removed From Injection Well Site Southwest of Athens."  The notion of old-school green sit-ins was scintillating.  I just couldn't help myself from reading, particularly because of my similar concerns regarding fracking and because of the protests I recently attended. 

What stuck with me from the article was the response to the woman's protesting.  There were other protesters there to support her, but who had chosen not to fasten themselves to barrels of cement like she had and there was the opposition-- in the form of ODNR (Ohio Department of Natural Resources-- who are the supervisors for all things fracking related in Ohio) and then the local police presence.  The woman seemed to go peacefully [to jail], but only after the police informed her that they'd be using the jackhammer on the cement to get her out if she wouldn't release herself.  She was also fined $7500 for "creating a panic."

Aside from these facts, was the fact that ODNR apparently was trying to figure out if the protesters were organized in any way through a given group and they went as far as to take pictures of all of the protesters' license plates if they were parked nearby.  As well, it sounds like there may have been a bit of an attempt to shield the protester from the public eye (on part of the injection well's company truck drivers) for whatever reason and one of the protesters shouted to the truck driver that they were only hurting their own cause. 

These facts are what stood out to me because they're a reminder of how much shielding of facts is being used as a tool to manipulate the public.  I commend Athens News on this because they aren't shying away from making the debate public.  It's also very telling as to how our State government has decided to operate lately. They don't seem to want to really get the facts out to the public about the repercussions of fracking and exactly what fracking fluid in someone's backyard may mean for their property and health. It also told me that they're nervous because they're trying to crack down-- with the heavy fines and with the documentation (i.e. pictures) of the protesters' license plates.  This also tells me that the protesters were doing something right because it not only brought attention to the public, but it slowed down the injection well's capability to operate normally and it created a stir among the authorities. 

It's time that ODNR be reminded that we've done our homework and that Athens is full of students and teachers of Thoreau, Ghandi, King, and Malcolm X so those lessons won't be lost anytime soon. 

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