September 17th, 2013, Frack Free Ohio and local residents will launch a county wide campaign to ban toxic fracking waste in Richland County. This is an exciting project for several reasons. We are widening our successful local efforts of last year, anyone on the planet can participate and a digital campaign tool kit will be made available to other interested parties in the near future. We have decided on a multi-pronged strategy involving the following actions:
1. We will be presenting to the county commissioners at 10:30 am. Jed Thorp of Ohio Sierra Club will speak and then I will outline our desired actions. The primary ask is for Richland County commissioners to pass a resolution in support of Ohio HB #148 and Ohio SB #178, both of which ban toxic fracking waste in Ohio. This includes in-state and out-of-state waste and would effectively: Ban Class 2 injection wells, road brine spreading and treated or 'recycled' flowback waste from being dispersed into treatment plants and waterways.
The secondary ask is to pass viable, local legislation to protect Richland County residents and resources from the threat of fracking waste in any form and by any means deemed appropriate.

NOTE: HB #148 was introduced in the spring of 2013 and you can view the synopsis here: http://www.lsc.state.oh.us/analyses130/h0148-i-130.pdf SB #178 was introduced in the fall of 2013 and is similar in effect to HB #148. No synopsis is available but the actual bill language is available here

2. We will hold a rally and media event in Central Park from 11:30am to 1:30pm. Speakers will present from Noon to 1pm on the campaign and the fracking waste issue. You can join in the facebook event here

3. We will attend the City Council meeting at 7pm and ask that they pass a resolution in support of HB #148 and SB #178. Since our city and residents supported the charter amendment, the Environmental Bill of Rights, in last fall's election, there is no need for further local legislation at this time.

4. We have created a facebook group for Richland County residents to follow the campaign and to actively engage in other Richland County environmental issues. It is a closed group buit membership is open to anyone regardless of geographic location. Admins will keep the focus on county related issues however. You may request to join the group here

5. We have a two petition drives: a physical petition available to any Richland County resident regardless of age or voting status. Petitions will be available at the rally and petition packets distributed as well. Contact me directly if interested in getting countywide signatures. The second petition is digital and available to any resident of planet earth. As we are all connected by our natural resources, this is where many of our out-of-county friends can help. Please consider signing and sharing this CREDO mobilize petition in support of our efforts here Thank You.

We will be submitting both petitions to our commissioners in October at the end of the month long campaign and utilizing them in whatever means necessary to increase leverage in our effort to achieve our goal.