WILL THE REPOSITORY "POWERS THAT BE" BE FAIR WITH ON THE OIL & GAS "FRACKING" ISSUE?

VIDEO

STARK COUNTY "HAZMAT" CHIEF

TOM GARRA

SPEAKS

ABOUT

HAZMAT PREPAREDNESS

IN GENERAL

AND

RE:  "FRACKING" OIL & GAS OPERATIONS

Second on Robert Fulgum's list of 16 items in All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten is:

"Play Fair."

For Stark County's only countywide newspaper, the "play fair" aphorism should be where?

You've got it!  ON TOP OF THE LIST.

But is it?

Chris Borello of the Concerned Citizens of Stark County (CCSC) is embarked on a fast and furious endeavor to convince the Powers That Be at The Repository to give "fair billing" to anti-fracking forces event coming to Canton's Palace Theater on Wednesday, October 9th.

From information that I have been able to gather (as of September 27th), all that The Rep is willing to do is to put the notice up on it "online" community events page.

Notwithstanding the initial rejection by The Repository folks to do a full blown promotion of Triple Divide screening, Borello is a very persistent community activist and IS NOT giving up.

Triple Divide's blog is hardly an objective treatment of the "fracking" phenomenon.  But neither is the oil and gas industry side, of course.

The SCPR's position has always been that the industry must be closely scrutinized and preparation made for not if but when a major, major accident happens.  And, it could be that one of those accidents will occur in Stark County.

STARK'S PREPARDNESS IF A "FRACKING" ACCIDENT HAPPENS?

The pro-fracking economic forces are clearly in control in the country these days given the fragile nature of the local, state and national economies.

So it appears that those forces will by and large force fracking full steam ahead wherever in American fracking will provide jobs.

The Report likes the position of Plain Township trustee Louis Giavasis who has put pressure on state of Ohio officials to compel frackers and the oil and gas industry to provide bonding and insurances adequate to cover the accidents when they come in order to make communities and individuals hurt by them - as nearly as possible - whole again.

To the degree that the politicos fail to provide for remediation, their names should be remembered and they should be held politically accountable for being remiss.

The responsibility of the media is to work very hard to ensure that the general public has access to information about risks/rewards of fracking.

When Canton experienced a chemical gas fire recently, Stark's Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) units responded efficiently and effectively.

It so happened that Stark's eminently qualified Hazmat chief (Canton Fire Department Battalion Chief Tom Garra) co-incidently appeared at a Stark County commissioners' work session (scheduled before the fire occurred) on the Monday or Tuesday immediately after the Canton chemical gases event.

The SCPR quizzed him (in a press conference-esque setting) about Stark Hazmat's preparedness in the event of a fracking accident.  He did say (08:00 minute mark of video) that Stark Countians "can sleep well at night" in terms of Hazmat's prepardness to handle a "fracking" incident which involve hazardous materials.  Morevoer, he speaks to "the specific training" that Stark Hazmat and Stark County fire departments have had and continue to have with regard to "fracking" accident prepardness.



BACK TO BORELLO'S EFFORT FOR "FAIR PLAY" IN GETTING INFORMATION OUT TO THE STARK COUNTY PUBLIC

Here is what Borello had to say in an email sent to The Rep yesterday in her endeavor to get the word out on Triple Divide coming to Stark County.

TO:  The Canton Repository
c/o Editors Scott Brown and Gayle Beck   cc:  Shane Hoover, Edd Pritchard

RE:  Request that the Rep publish this announcement and additional info. in a prominent space in the paper  prior to the October 9th showing at Stark Kent.  As previously requested, we also ask that you consider doing a separate larger story on the back story on why/how this film was created by these investigative journalists.  If you have any questions, please contact Elyse at: elyse.hirsch@yahoo.com

Given that the Rep has published a 75 page spread that appeared to be mostly for the drillers' benefit, and that the paper is sponsoring an upcoming Shale Summit with the Canton Chamber ( that we assume your former editor, Dave Kaminski helped to facilitate in his efforts in promoting shale gas drilling now at the Chamber), we belief it would only be fair if the paper give this request special consideration, even though the paper was reportedly too booked to actually provide us the sponsorship we had requested prior.  Citizens clearly cannot compete with mega wealthy corporations in purchasing "air time", but surely the paper, bare minimum, has an interest in facilitating both sides of this story for a well informed readership...?

Regards,

Chris for Stark County Concerned Citizens

As Borello points out, those folks making the decision on the CCSC's request, have close historical-employment ties for former Repository executive editor David Kaminski who now works as a publicist for the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Guess what one of Kiminski's main focuses is on?

Bingo, again!

The benefits of "fracking" for Stark County and the entire surrounding area.

Does that sound just a little like there might be a "conflict-in-interest" in Brown and Beck determining whether or not to "play fair" with the CCSC on Triple Divide publicity?

Beck, in particular, should be really, really embarrassed over this matter.

As The Rep's lead editorial writer she is known to opine in print just every once in a while on "fairness" and avoiding the appearance of "conflict in interest."

Hmm?

Could it be that she and her fellows make an exception on "fairness" and freedom from "conflict in interest" for themselves?

Editor Beck,

• for the sake of Repository credibility, and
• for the sake of Stark Countians having the opportunity to be fully informed,

needs to convince herself and the Powers That Be at The Repository

• to heed the call of Chris Borello and the CCSC for coverage of the Triple Divide event.

Fundamental journalistic fairness demands it!

It is all about "playing fair, no?"

KASICH ADMINISTRATION BANS VIDEOTAPING OF A PUBLIC MEETING IN VIOLATION OF OHIO'S OPEN MEETINGS LAW?

UPDATE & CORRECTION:

In the original blog yours truly inadvertently referred to Bob Downing (the actual author of the article referred to) as being Bob Dyer.  A SCPR apology to Mr. Dyer for the error.

ORIGINAL BLOG

It is beginning to appear that Republican Governor John Kasich only favors democracy when it is convenient to his purposes.  Like being elected governor.

Last Friday, the SCPR reported (LINK) on the legislation that his administration ramrodded through the Ohio General Assembly to prevent Republican State Auditor David Yost from auditing Jobs Ohio (a private entity which has taken over economic development for Ohio). 

He was aided in passing the legislation by Stark County Republicans Scott Oelslager (R, Plain, the 29th Ohio Senate District), Kirk Schuring (R, Jackson, the 48th Ohio House District) and Christina Hagan (Republican, the 50th Ohio House District).

So much for transparency in government, no?

And speaking of Oelslager, who in large part has made his legislative reputation by authoring several bills beefing up open "public' meetings and thereby has been thought (until his anti-transparency co-sponsorship of the audit ban of Job Ohio) to favor public accountability; one has to wonder what he thinks of the activity of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) ban on basic democratic rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution, the Ohio Constitution and Ohio's Open Meetings law in its administration of fracking-related issues.

For a definition of fracking for those readers who are not familiar with the term,  here is a LINK.

And a disclaimer on the SCPR's position on the issue.

Yours truly neither favors nor opposes fracking.

The Report's tack is to require the oil and gas industry as a matter of law to provide bonds/insurances in amounts to that will pay for any accidents that occur with which to fairly and adequately compensate Ohioans who suffer damages on account an mishaps which happen.  Moreover, the industry needs to be required as a matter of law to compensate local government entities through bonds/insurances for any damages which is sustained as a consequence of harm done to local government owned and managed infrastructure (e.g.roads, bridges, water supplies and the like). Finally, the industry must be made by state/federal government rules and regulations to reveal to the general public each and every chemical they use in the fracking process.

No matter what a particular issue may be, The Report is committed to the enhancement of the processes and procedures of our democratic-republic.

It is seeming more and more that the Kasich administration is willing to sacrifice democratic principles to achieving command and control of its overall state government agenda as most recently evidenced by the shutting down of audits of Jobs Ohio and ODNR's "chilling" of democratic give and take in its interaction with the Ohio public over a range of fracking issues.

A full blown emergence of an anti-democracy tilt of the ODNR was apparent by November 28, 2012.

The SCPR can trace the beginnings of the ODND adversion to democratic dialogue on fracking issues way back to December, 2010/January, 2011 when Plain Township trustee Louis Giavasis sponsored public meetings on the issue at a Plain schools site (LINK).

According to a report by Columbus Dispatch (LINK) on November 28th,  the ODNR held, at its regional office on East State Street in Athens, a meeting which it termed to be "an open house" on an issue that some Athens Countians had with the issuance of an fracking residue disposal "injection well" permit.

Originally, the Athens County Fracking Action Network (ACFAN) had asked for a "public hearing, but were denied and ODNR substituted the "open house" which theACFAN folks termed as being an effort "designed to diffuse agency accountability and community solidarity."

On the 28th, some 50 people crammed into the ODNR provided room and promptly took control of the meeting from ODNR officials (including Stark County [Lake Township] resident and Chief of the Division of Oil and Gas Resource Management Rick Simmers), in an attempt to convert into a de facto public hearing.

Simmers' (appointed division chief by ODNR Director James Zehringer [who is, of course, a Kasich appointee]) responsibilities include:

(1) enforcing Ohio’s laws related to oil and gas drilling,

(2) production,

(3) plugging,

(4) orphan wells,

(5) solution mining,

(6) ethanol recovery,

gas storage, and

(7) underground injection control operations.

A report of the event by the Frackfree America National Coalition (FANC - LINK) indicated that there were numerous law enforcement types at the meeting and the anti-frackers were ordered out of the "open house" where they were joined by some 100 protestors (pictured above) who had marched to the scene.

As relevant to this blog and the anti-democratic flavor of the "open house," catch this blurb from the Frackfree article, to wit:

Underscoring how opposed they were to receiving public input, ODNR designated an outdoor, “free speech zone” for the ralliers, and forbade the public from bringing in signs, banners, backpacks, or audio or videocameras.  One citizen was ordered to leave after recording officials' comments.  Ralliers brought their own solar-powered sound system, stage, and roster of speakers. "We will challenge these intolerable restrictions on our constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly," said Smiles Welch, the emcee of the event.

Fast forward to May 30, 2013 and see how the November 28th  "open house" euphemism morphed into being an "availability session."

The notice which appeared in area newspapers:

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is holding a meeting Thursday evening at Wingfoot Lake State Park to answer questions from the public about the state’s Class II injection wells.

Class II injection wells are used to dispose of wastewater produced by oil and natural gas wells.
The meeting will be held 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Pine Tree Lodge, 993 Goodyear Park Blvd., Mogadore [Portage County].

No video cameras, demonstrations, signs or banners are allowed inside the venue and all bags may be subject to inspection by law enforcement, according to ODNR. (emphasis added)

Here is the first e-mail report about the the "availability session" that came into the hands of the SCPR:

"Just left the meeting.  What a useless dog & pony show with 14 armed guards and a dog.  ... .

Bob Downing of the Akron Beacon Journal penned a piece (Security heavy at injection well meeting at Wingfoot Lake, May 30 (LINK) which focused on the extraordinary number of armed ODNR staffers (14) which were present at the meeting of a total of 30 staffers and the resentment that their presence engendered among the 55 community activists concerned about injection well safety.

Seven wells are presently in plans for Portage County.

Interesting enough Downing (the journalist he is)  chose to ignore the ODNR prohibition on videotaping, and on audio recording.

Sounds like he is a real stand up guy for government accountability and transparency, no?  (sarcasm)

It seems to the SCPR that if challenged in court, the ODNR would not impress Ohio's judiciary with the game playing it is doing with dubbing public meetings as being an "open house" or an "availability session" in a obvious legal technicality effort to avoid the Ohio attorney general's interpretation of Ohio Open Meeting Law as informed by existing case law to effect that public officials cannot prohibit videotaping and audio recording.

What appears to be an apt survey of the law of Ohio was published in an email which the SCPR received a copy of, to wit:

The Ohio Open Meetings Act
Chapter Two: Duties of a Public Body
A. Openness

4.0 Audio and Video Recording

A public body cannot prohibit the public from audio or video recording a public meeting.*843 A public body may, however, establish reasonable rules regulating the use of recording equipment, such as requiring equipment to be silent, unobtrusive, self-contained, and self-powered to limit interference with the ability of others to hear, see, and participate in the meeting.844

• *843 McVey v. Carthage Twp. Trs., 2005-Ohio-2869, ¶¶ 14-15 (4th Dist.) (trustees violated R.C. 121.22 by banning videotaping). 
• 844 Kline v. Davis, 2001-Ohio-2625 (4th Dist.) (blanket prohibition on recording a public meeting not justified); 1988 Ohio Op. Att’y Gen. No. 087 (opining that trustees have authority to adopt reasonable rules for use of recording equipment at their meetings). 
• See also Mahajan v. State Med. Bd. of Ohio, 2011-Ohio-6728 (10th Dist.) (where rule allowed board to designate reasonable location for placement of recording equipment, requiring appellant’s court reporter to move to the back of the room was reasonable, given the need to transact board business).

Shame on:

• Governor John Kasich,
• ODNR Director James Zehringer, and
• Stark Countian [Lake Township] Chief of the Division of Oil and Gas Resource Management Rick Simmers

for trifling with our rights as citizens to have accountability and transparency and to exercise our First Amendment guarantees.

Let's hope that someone will step forward and take them to court.

Those who favor fracking say that the ODNR can be trusted to protect Ohioans from a fracking disaster?

Doesn't the agency's apparent zeal to trample on the citizens' rights via the nuancing of meeting labels in service of legal sophistry put that confidence in question?

Certainly not be be counted among those trusting the ODNR is long time Stark County Concerned Citizens leader Chris Borello who lives in Stark County's Plain Township.

Here is her reaction to Thursday's Wingfoot Lake ODNR goings on.

First big oil/gas bombards the air waves/media night and day with their promotion of fracking to seemingly in part drown out any descent.   Now, it appears more stories are being put forth like the one below out of Youngstown, [LINK]  to plant the seeds that American citizens are to be feared and more, yes, even be armed against -  if they dare to exercise their right to speak out in order to raise public awareness about their legitimate and very real concerns regarding fracking & the accompanying waste disposal practices potentially destroying our country, via posing threats to communities'  health, safety, &  properties.  Great strategy to keep people in line:  Float articles like the one below suggesting these concerned Americans are possible domestic terrorists,  to instill fear and intimidation to hopefully prevent them from speaking out; demanding answers.

We only need to look to what happened in Portage County in Ohio the other night.  Thirteen armed guards and dogs hired by Ohio DNR  for a supposed public information meeting to discuss injections wells, with each citizen reportedly having a wand waved over them prior.....  Purportedly this armed back up was to  "protect" this Ohio agency from these terrible Ohio citizens, who simply came to ask questions/express their concerns about the massive amounts of what drilling poisons will be disposed underneath their area's water supplies, including dangerous, long lived radiation - Radium -  that one radiation expert said in their opinion was more harmful to a body than ingesting Plutonium because it is bone seeking.
Just bet the industry really loved that show of force on ODNR's part which served to nicely compliment the gist of the below article.

What would those armed officials have done, had citizens brought signs to protest outside the meeting, OR,  God forbid, insisted this public agency merely FOLLOW Ohio's SUNSHINE LAWS allowing recordings of such meetings, which had been denied by ODNR?  )

Yep.  It certainly appears the stage is being carefully set in America the Heartland here in Ohio,  to paint good, caring folks who don't want to see innocent children develop cancer and Leukemia as the villains, once again, for standing up to industry and these agencies.

I believe many of us would like to know:   If a foreign enemy came over here and dumped radiation/toxins near our water supplies, what would our government's response be then?  Wouldn't the FBI, Homeland Security  et al be called in?  But,  if this dumping is done by  "friendly fire", somehow it is not only apparently "ok" to do, but citizens should keep quiet and accept it all without a fuss, or risk being labeled/treated like this?!

(VIDEO: PRICE, CIRELLI & SCHULMAN ON CANTON WATER PROCESSING) ANTI-FRACKING GOES INTERNATIONAL & STARK COUNTY IS PART OF IT DUE TO THE EFFORT OF CHRIS BORELLO'S "CONCERNED CITIZENS OF STARK COUNTY."

The Ohio and Stark County anti-fracking community is in a celebratory mood today as a consequence of the publication of a White Paper (LINK) by ControlRisks (an independent global consultancy).

ControlRisks (LINK) defines itself thusly:

Control Risks is an independent, global risk consultancy specialising [British spelling] in political, integrity and security risk. We help some of the most influential organisations [British spelling] in the world to understand and manage the risks and opportunities of operating in complex or hostile environments.

Why are the anti-frackers more cheered up these days?

Because of the descriptive material  that ControlRisks uses in assessing the impact of the anti-fracking movement in shaping policy at the local, state, national, and indeed, international levels of government includes locals and Ohioans as being among those attaining some success against the oil gas industry.

One anti-fracker euphoric mood is expressed in an e-mail (on which the SCPR was copied) with the ControlRisks' assessments (in quote marks and bold italics), to wit:

Here is one of my favorite lines so far:  (page 4)

"The O&G industry has repeatedly been caught off guard by the sophistication, speed, and influence of anti-fracking activists"

WOW !!

 The subject line on the e-mail?

KUDOS to ALL of the anti-fracking activists !! - read what the O&G industry says about us in their "White Paper on Anti-Drilling Activity"

And there is growing evidence that local long time environmental activist Chris Borello's (a forwarder of the above-cited e-mail) of the Concerned Citizens of Stark County and her supporters are affecting, in a limiting way, the ability of the oil and gas industry to operate within the geographical confines of Stark County.

Borello cut her teeth on the Uniontown Industrial Excess Landfill (IEL) beginning in the early 1980s and continuing up to this very day as the leader of the Concerned Citizens of Lake Township (CCLT).

The local effort to stymie the oil and gas industry fracking initiative started back in the Fall of 2010 when Plain Township trustee Louis Giavasis (the godfather of the Stark County anti-fracking movement?) raised concerns about fracking and it environmental effects in his part of Stark County (LINK 1, LINK 2, LINK 3,  LINK 4, LINK 5 and LINK 6 [prior SCPR blogs]).

Borello and her followers were in the thick of Giavasis fight against the oil and gas industry fracking proponents.

Plain Township did pass a resolution prohibiting fracking on and under township properties (July, 2011) And trustees asked Ohio to place a moratorium on fracking in February, 2011.

Fast forward to 2012 (some two years later) and to Canton City Council.

The Stark County anti-fracking fight continues in this venue on several fronts.

On March 1st, Canton Mayor William J. Healy, II sensing an opportunity to right his city's failing financial ship declared Canton to be friendly to fracking in declaring the Hall of Fame City to also be known as The Utica Capital (LINK).

In order the underscore to the oil and gas industry that Canton was fracking friendly, he subsequently introduced legislation whereby Canton City Council would authorize the his administration to explore leasing opportunities for fracking purposes.

In doing so, he awakened the Borello and her anti-fracking allies and they have been out-in-force opposing anything remotely supporting anything helpful to the fracking industry.

The SCPR believes that the anti-frackers effectively used council's Public Speaks forum and entre to a few somewhat sympathetic council members to convince a majority of council to turn down Healy's request and Healy, seeing the handwriting on the way, withdrew the authorization request.

But Healy was not done antagonizing Borello's supporters.

A few weeks ago his administration proposed legislation whereby Canton's water treatment plant would accept leachtate from American Landfill and process it through Canton's state-of-the-art water processing facilities and thereby get one-hell-of-a-financial-deal for piping Canton's residual sludge to the landfill for a proper burial.

So?

The problem is that the leachate would necessarily include fracking process materials dumped at the landfill by the oil and gas industry and necessarily to one degree or another be present in the leachate going through the Canton water treatment plant.

Think there might be an objection by Borello and friends?

Is there fresh water in Lake Erie?

Meaning, of course, yes they would and, in fact, have objected upsetting the Healy administrations little apple cart of having, in its mind, created a win-win scenario for the oil and gas industry, American Landfill and for the city of Canton.

The Borello inspired civic activism as been instrumental in council agreeing to put off a vote on the proposed ordinance until December 17th and then again until January 7th.

Witness this entry on the council agenda for the 17th:

ORDINANCES & FORMAL RESOLUTIONS FOR THIRD/FINAL READING & VOTE:  POSTPONED UNTIL 1/7/13 

12. AUTHORIZE SERV DIR TO ENTER INTO LONG-TERM AGMT WITH AMERICAN LANDFILL, INC. FOR LEACHATE & SLUDGE DISPOSAL; EMERGENCY

It is important to note that the Concerned Citizens of Stark County (CCSC) appear to have some important sympathtics on council; namely Councilwoman Mary Cirelli and Council President Allen Schulman.

Cirelli has been with the CCSC folks from day one going back to the beginnings in Plain Township in 2010.

Schulman has been on, off, on again (apparently) and who knows where he will end up.

As the SCPR sees it, had Schulman not intervened on during a council work session on December 3rd, the agreement between Canton and American Landfill would now be an accomplished fact.

The delay has to make the oil and gas folks, American Landfill and the Canton administration just a tad nervous as to whether or not "the dream solution" to their common problem will ever be realized.

From time-to-time, Borello et al have been confused by Schulman's vacillation on the Canton water quality issue in the context of the fracking issue, and, accordingly, have questioned his reliability to support their perspective.

But the fact of the matter is that he is the key from the SCPR's way of thinking as to whether or not the Canton/American Landfill agreement gets approved even though he is not a voting member except in case of a council tie on a given issue.

The SCPR has been watching Schulman for a number of years and, too boot, yours truly has known him going back to the 1970s as a fellow member of the Stark County bar.

Schulman is a highly skilled trial lawyer and is council's most urbane member which is to say he is sophisticated, articulate, persuasive and, if he is on your side, a passionate and committed ally.

So the question is this:  will he line up with the anti-frackers?

The Report thinks he cares deeply about protecting the quality of Canton's drinking water, which by the way, also supplies communities and enterprises outside of Canton (e.g. Lake Township located in northern Stark County).

However, he will have to be convinced by the anti-fracking activists that Canton's accepting leachate from American Landfill unreasonably puts Canton's water supply at risk.  If he is not persuaded by "clear and convincing evidence, The Report sees him siding with the Healy administration because doing so helps Canton's finances which he also deeply cares about.

While basically a non-voting member of council, The Report sees him as perhaps the most listened to among all of the councilpersons by fellow his council members.

Here is a videotaped session of a council work session (December 3rd) in which Healy adminstration Service Director Warren Price addresses the matter of Canton's proposed relationship with American Landfill along with Councilwoman Cirelli's (and Schulman's) request for a delay on a vote on the question.



It is obvious that the delaying tactics have been urged by the anti-frackers to buy time to persuade a majority of council to defeat the Healy administration proposal.

Will the Borello faction be successful?

The SCPR for one would not count them out.

As the ControlRisks' White Paper says:  Groups like the Concerned Citizens of Stark County are "sophisticated [in their community activism], speedy [in responding with articulate objectors and thereby] influen[tial] [in the role of being] anti-fracking activists."

If they can turn Schulman into an out-and-out supporter, one has to think their chances are very good indeed in stopping the Canton/American Landfill agreement right in its tracks!

OLESLAGER "DEEP SIXES" ANTI-FRACKERS. BETTER HOPE THERE ARE NO FRACKING ACCIDENTS AFFECTING THE "DRINKABILITY" OF STARK CO. UNDERGROUND WATER SUPPLIES, NO?

 UPDATED AT 10:15 AM

Stark County has been in the economic dumper for a long time.

About the only exciting thing happening that suggests a local economic resurgence is the God-given blessing that Stark sits on top of what is called Utica shale deposits.

To get at the deposits in the most efficient, effective and productive way, the oil and gas industry came up with a new and improved method of what is called "fracking" back in 1998.

When Republican John Kasich took office in January, 2011 after having narrowly defeated Democratic incumbent Ted Strickland in the November, 2010 election, he jumped all over the potential economic benefits to Ohio to be gained from a dramatic increase in oil/gas exploration with the revelation that Ohio was within the  Marcellus and Utica oil and gas ladened shale deposits.

Stark County's elected officials were slower to jump on board.  But they have.  The SCPR (a top 10 list) ranks Stark's politicians in the following order in terms of their enthusiasm for fracking:

1. Democrat William J. Healy, II, mayor of Canton,
2. Republican Pat Fallot, mayor of Louisville,
3. Republican candidate for Stark County commissioner, Richard Regula (son of former 16th district congressman Ralph Regula),
4. Republican state Rep. Christina Hagan (the 50th), who as a 24 year old unelected (appointed) legislator has received thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry),
5. Republican state Senator Scott Oelslager (the 29th),
6. Republican state Rep. J. Kirk Schuring (the 51st, soon to be the 48th),
7. Democratic state Rep. Stephen Slesnick (the 52nd, soon to be the 49th).
8. Former Democratic mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr of Massillon,
9. Current Democratic Massillon Democratic mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry, and
10. Democratic commissioner candidate Bill Smuckler.

 Moreover, the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce is "bananas" and "frothing at the mouth" about the prospects that fracking will solve everything economic that ails Stark County.

Notice the word "acquifer" in the graphic above.  Acquifer equals our drinking water. 

Well, that word is all one needs to focus upon to figure out that fracking was going to be a highly controversial procedure.

While being for fracking might well have good political spin-off for those who have lined up in support of the process, they had better pray each and every night that there is "no" fracking associated accident that pollutes Stark County's drinking water.

For  being on the Stark County Political Report's pro-fracking Top 10 List, in the event of a drinking water contamination, will not be a pretty sight to behold in terms of the political retribution that will take place.

The very first politician/governmental official to speak out against fracking was Plain Township trustee Louis Giavasis (here is a LINK to the SCPR's very first blog on fracking on 12/04/2010) who sponsored a two-part symposium emceed by Ron Ponder (Points to Ponder) of WHBC 1480 located in downtown Canton.

Giavasis stands in stark contrast (no pun intended) to his Plain Township cohort trustee Scott Haws, who, the SCPR perceives to be an ardent pro-fracker.

Giavasis has been joined by one of Stark's foremost opponent to fracking; namely,  Chris Borello who lives in Plain Township.

Chris is a long time civic activist in Stark County, having cut her teeth in civic involvement with her work to get a Superfund clean up of the Uniontown Industrial Excess Landfill located in Uniontown going back to the early 1980s.

In Giavasis' and Borello's work to curb (i.e. regulate) if not stop fracking, due to their multiple concerns that they and the group Stark County Concerned Citizens have about fracking, to wit:

• contamination of ground water (i.e. our drinking water),
• a degradation of air quality,
• gases and fracking chemicals finding their way to the surface through fracturing of the shale (also by triggering earthquakes),
• pollution of the under ground by the disposal of chemical wastes/by products in what are called "injection" wells, and
• surface contamination from spills from extracted oil products.

she has established allies across Ohio and, indeed, over the nation.

A major blow to the ability of the likes of Borello and Giavasis to put a damper on "the rush to frack" began back in 2004.

The Ohio General Assembly passed HB 278 (2004) and SB 165 (2010) which for all intents and purposes took local control of oil and gas regulation away from Ohio's counties, cities, villages, townships and boards of education.

For a comprehensive picture on the votes of members of the Stark County delegation to the Ohio General Assembly on HB 278 and SB 165 go to an October 7, 2011 SCPR blog (LINK).

Apparently, for some reason Borello and her allies thought state Senator Scott Oelslager would be open to their entreaty to work to strengthen regulation of fracking both at the state and local level.

The SCPR has learned that Borello (Stark County Concerned Citizens) ally Alison Auciello of the Columbus-based Food and Water Watch organization obtained a meeting with Oelslager on October 1st at his North Canton condominium.

She had with her four Oelslager constituents:  a film maker, a Vietnam veteran, a retired teacher and a MIT educated engineer.

Summing up her take on the hour long session, Auciello says:

".... throughout Sen. Oelslager was not open to hearing or lending any legitimacy to what we all see as valid concerns about the impact of fracking in his district" and "[my]y overall impression of him is that, at least at this point, he is not movable. He has fully ingested the oil-aid and has his mind closed to any other perspective."

 Hmm?

"[H]e is not movable," and "his mind [is] closed," and "he has fully ingested the oil aid."

Interesting, no?

More specifically, Auciello made the following points on Oelslager:

• Oelslager believes that we are entrenched in a fossil fuel economy and wouldn't hear that investment in fracking is standing directly in the way of a transition to renewable,
• He assumed we all knew that renewable energy would be inadequate anyway. He believes that fracking will be an economic windfall for Ohio and refused to hear that it would only be for the lucky few and the rest of us would be left with the cleanup bill,
• He was throwing out key phrases like "energy independence" and "investment in infrastructure" (which he somehow thinks will still be useful when the gas runs out).  
• He's also under the impression that Kasich solved the earthquake problem.  
• We made it clear to him that we'd like to see his support of moratorium legislation in the beginning and he tried to lay a "ground rule" that there will be no moratorium. He wanted us to give suggestions on improvements to regulations.
• We pointed out that regulations haven't been effectively enforced, and they can't make the process safe to begin with, but all he was doing the whole time was waiting to pounce on any point he had the counterpoint to go along with.
• One thing that I thought was really telling about his position is his reaction to the local control issue. He said that if it were up to local municipalities, we'd have no "progress", so what he is essentially saying is that he knows local communities don't want fracking, and that's why the state needs to decide- so we can do it anyway.

Chris Borello may be even tougher on Oelslager, to wit:

• Love Scotty's response on "local control'....Wow.  Incredible...   More blatant hypocrisy. on supposed "core beliefs, eh? 
• We can never forget how Ralph Regula indeed, deferred to "local control" - the Lake Twp. Trustees, on IEL's Plutonium issue!
•  Regula indeed, deferred to "local control" - the Lake Twp. Trustees, on IEL's Plutonium issue!  We have the letter he sent to CCLT [Concerned Citizens of Lake Township] to prove it.
• We believe Scott Oelslager, Kirk Schuring and other reps. agreed with the Congressman's position on this...I think Sen. Voinovich's staffer told us it was called being  "Federalist".  ... .
• Frankly, I am quite sure there are still many residents in our area who would like to ask Scott, Kirk Schuring, Christina Hagan, and especially our former Congressman, Ralph Regula,  about this extremely serious double standard regarding local control, the Plutonium and IEL, and now, fracking..... .
• The newspapers have a copy of that letter from Regula to CCLT re.  how local officials are the most appropriate officials to make such determinations.... We gave it to papers two years ago, when we first learned about HB. 278 stripping our rights away! 

It appears to the SCPR that the die is cast on fracking in Stark County.

There is no doubt that it has the enthusiastic support of most Stark County's elected officials, led by the SCPR's Top Ten List.

Stark County's everdays are much more circumspect about the issue of fracking than are many of if not most of Stark's elected officials.

Let us "hope and pray" that these officials have made the right call.

For if they have not and the drinking water supply gets contaminated, we all will regret that fracking was ever engaged.

And, we will be likely looking at a long list of ex-Stark County elected officials!

DAVIES BOWS OUT IN NORTH CANTON ON ANTI-FRACKING AT LEAST FOR NOW. HAS TO BE A DISAPPOINTMENT TO PLAIN'S CHRIS BORELLO - STARK COUNTY'S PRE-EMINENT BATTLER FOR A CAUSE!

The expression "fight[ing] like a girl" used to be exclusively as an insult.  Men have used it among themselves to describe other men whom the utterer of the phrase wanted put down as being weak.

One of the biggest changes in the American political landscape has been the power demonstrated by American women as they have increasingly taken on leadership in fighting for the causes of political, economic and social justice.

Names of extraordinarily courageous and effective women who dot the ongoing march of women in the annals of American history into a role of powerful leadership include National Women's Hall of Fame inductees Bella Abzug, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jeannette Rankin, Madeleine Albright, Maya Angelou, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Susan Kelly-Dreiss from among 236 of such inductees.

While she may not make it into the National Women's Hall of Fame, Stark County's Christine  "Chris" Borello carries on the fight of contemporary and archival American women for the causes they have and continue to believe in.

Chris's fight is for the health, safety and well-being of Stark Countians.  Moreover, though, her work spills out to benefit people across the nation.

Whether or not one agrees with Borello's position on issues she takes on, a fair minded person absolutely has to admire her grit, guts and determination which translates into "never giving up!"

Because of the work of the 236 women in the National Women's Hall of Fame and countless other anonymous American women who fight, fight, fight for the causes they believe in on a day-in, day-out basis, the SCPR believes the expression of "fight like a girl" has taken on new meaning in modern parlance and is submerging the sexist expression of macho men.

Yours truly has known Chris Borello for about 30 years.  In fact, we have children who attended school together in the Lake school system.

She now lives in Plain Township, but she has been (since the early 1980s) been battling to get a complete cleanup of the Uniontown Industrial Excess Landfill (IEL) located in Lake Township.  IEL is a dump which was - in the main - used by Akron-based rubber companies to dump toxic industrial waste in a former Uniontown quarry.

Of late, she has taken up - in addition to her continuing IEL fight - the cause of anti-fracking.

Horizontal hydrofracking is a means of tapping shale deposits containing natural gas that were previously inaccessible by conventional drilling. Vertical hydrofracking is used to extend the life of an existing well once its productivity starts to run out, sort of a last resort. Horizontal fracking differs in that it uses a mixture of 596 chemicals, many of them proprietary, and millions of gallons of water per frack. This water then becomes contaminated and must be cleaned and disposed of.

In an exchange with local self-described super attorney William G. Williams of Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty Co., L.P.A. so quintessentially shows the fire of Chris Borello:

One of Borello's chief frustrations has to be dealing with politicians.

There is not one Stark County politician who Borello thinks might help her in her quest to make the Stark County environment safe for all of us who has not been lobbied by her to join her cause.

The closest that she ever got (in the opinion of the SCPR) to getting a politician to go all out in joining her in the fight to clean up IEL was Robert Horowitz (deceased November 14, 2003) who served as Stark County prosecutor from 1985 through 2003.

Bob did a lot of sincere, effective work to help Chris, but in the end he seemed to have yielded to political pressure to back off.

Yours truly has always told Borello that her drive to prove on the "merits of the case" her cause, while admirable, will not get the job done for her.  The Report believes that the solutions come from the political realm.

But there is one major problem with politicians.

They have to get elected and if they think that an issue will cause them a problem getting elected (or, re-elected, as the case may be), they scatter to the four winds and abandon what appeared to be a commitment "in a heartbeat."

A notable Stark County politician who seemingly has embraced whole-heartedly the fight to ban horizontal hydraulic fracking is Demcrat Plain Township Trustee Louis Giavasis.  Another stalwart appears to be Democratic Canton Councilwoman Mary Cirelli.

In December, 2010 Giavasis caused quite a stir among the oil and gas interests in Stark County (most notably Attorney William G. Williams - a Republican), when he proposed a ban of such fracking in Plain Township.

Williams responded with what many believe to be a letter designed (followed up later onwith a second letter) to intimidate Giavasis.  However, as politicians go, Giavasis so far is proving steadfast in his commitment to fight fracking in Plain and has moreover tried to get other Stark County political jurisdictions to follow his lead.  One such entity has been North Canton City Council through Republican Councilman Jeff Davies (Ward 3).

Giavasis has been successful in getting fellow Democratic Plain Township Al Leno to join him on passing resolutions to ask Ohio to place a moratorium on fracking and banning fracking on and under township park lands, and other township owned land as well has under township roadways.  Republican Trustee Scott Haws has refused to support the Giavasis effort.

Chris Borello and a bevy of northeast Ohio environmentalist have been at his side each step of the way.

But, like so many politicians before him, Davies appears to be bailing out - at least until he gets re-elected.  Witness this e-mail between Davies and Giavasis:

A former North Canton politician tells the SCPR that he thinks there is a good chance that Davies will lose his 3rd Ward seat on November 8th.

Other Stark politicians who have shown some interest in joining the anti-fracking fight include Alliance Councilman Steve Okey (Democrat running for mayor of Alliance) and Councilman Tony Townsend of Massillon (a Democrat).  However, lame duck Massillon Mayor Frank Cicchinelli (Democrat) may be the foremost example of a Stark politician who favors fracking.  He is trying to negate the Townsend -led effort by suggesting that a council anti-fracking stance may cost Massillon about 500 new oil and gas industry jobs.

Also a word about Canton City Council President Allen Schulman (a Democrat).  Initially, he seemed to be on board with Giavasis and Cirelli, but his stance seems to have changed.  Wonder what has ben behind that?

Giavasis' most important ally in the judgment of the SCPR is Borello.

Most of her work is done "behind the scenes" as she constantly reminds yours truly that her causes are not about her, BUT ABOUT THE CAUSE.

Undoubtedly, between IEL and the anti-fracking issues, Borello is used to politicians like Davies who very typically "goes a runnin" when the political heat gets applied.

The Report thinks that Giavasis will stick with Borello through "thick and thin," but who knows.

One thing about Chris Borello, she is part and parcel of giving new meaning to "fighting like a girl" and one can be sure that:

'CHRIS BORELLO WILL NEVER GIVE UP!!!"