A coalition of Ohio activists on Thursday asked Gov. John Kasich to get answers to questions about radioactive drilling wastes.
In their letter, the activists urged Kasich to personally direct the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to answer questions on shale drilling wastes from Ohio and out-of-state companies that are coming into Ohio.
The letter to the governor was signed by 53 activists and eco-groups.
The signees said they believe the questions raised are “critically important in protecting public health, safety and welfare and deserve complete answers from the state.”
The fear is that “vast quantities” of radiation-laden waste is coming into Ohio in drilling liquids and solid wastes and that Ohio is not equipped to deal with such wastes, said activist Chris Borello of Stark County’s Plain Township, who drafted the message to Kasich.
Kasich’s office has received the letter, spokesman Rob Nichols confirmed. Ohio is moving toward strengthening rules under provisions outlined in the new state budget bill, he said.
But the activists are unhappy with the direction that Ohio is moving.
“To garner public trust and credibility, it is imperative that your various agencies act in a transparent and forthcoming manner, given the potential risks posed to public health, worker safety and to the environment for many years to come, long after the drilling has gone bust,” Borello’s message read.
Getting answers from the state has been difficult and frustrating to activists, she wrote. Borello posed a series of specific questions on radioactive drilling wastes to the heads of the three state agencies.
She also wants to know why Ohio opted for a weaker, less-protective definition of radioactive waste that allows more of that waste to legally make its way into Ohio without proper accountability or monitoring.
“It is our understanding that Ohio’s less-protective stance … is contrary to what the U.S. EPA, the National Academy of Sciences and others have defined,” Borello said.
Radioactive waste should not be mixed with dirt and put into Ohio’s solid-waste landfills, Borello said. They are not designed to handle such wastes, she said.
Radioactive wastes could contaminate surface and ground waters, she said. It could get into landfill leachate and be shipped to sewage plants before it is discharged into streams.
Earlier, Kasich had submitted a letter to the activists, outlining Ohio’s plan contained in the state budget bill to strengthen its regulatory programs on such wastes. Those provisions will require that such radioactive waste properly be tested, managed and disposed, the governor said.
The agencies, he said, had worked together “to develop a comprehensive and sensible plan that will protect public health and safety, Kasich said in a July 26 note.
Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.
