Letters to the Editor – Geauga Maple Leaf

Golden Rule

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That is the Golden Rule that we hope our neighbors will live by. That is the rule that Geauga Countys neighbor, the City of Akron, threatens to violate.

Akron owns 475 acres of land in Geauga County that includes the LaDue Reservoir. LaDue is a beautiful, environmentally-sensitive watershed protection area, upstream from Akrons main drinking water supply along the Cuyahoga River.

LaDue is also smack-dab in the middle of Geauga Countys drinking water supply. Ninety-seven percent of us in Geauga County rely on water wells (groundwater) for our drinking water.

Akron is considering a lease deal with a private company that will allow that company to horizontally drill and frack for oil and gas under LaDue. They would receive $237,500 and 15% of royalties for any oil or gas produced. Not much money, really, for compromising the integrity of Geauga Countys groundwater, negatively impacting our quality of life and costing us unknown thousands of dollars for additional road maintenance and other public services.

Think about industrial activity along the shore of LaDue the noise from the machinery, the air pollution, frack fluid, oil, condensate, spills on the surface going into the reservoir.

Think about the parade of trucks on our roads, bringing in equipment, crews, the tons of sand needed for fracking. Think about the water needed to frack. Will those millions of gallons come out of the reservoir? How will that affect the reservoir itself and the flora and fauna in the area?

Think about how the underground drilling, the extraction of water from the reservoir, and possible spills will compromise our groundwater, the water that we drink every day.

Akron City Council needs to remember the Golden Rule and consider its neighbors in Geauga County. If youd like to let Akron know how you feel about their proposal to allow fracking at LaDue, you can make a public comment to City Council by email atpubliccomment@akronohio.govor by voicemail at 330-375-2566.

Shelley CherninRussell Township

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Letters to the Editor - Geauga Maple Leaf