Self-Guided Fracking Tour of Portage County
PORTAGE COUNTY PROUDLY PRESENTS FIVE TOURS DE FRACK!
Accurate as of 10-24-2012
See some of our nation’s 680,000 underground hazardous chemical Class 2 disposal wells—Portage County already has 16, more than any other county in Ohio-- and 9 more drillers have permits pending (as of early Oct.).
Tour de Frack #1: The Mini-Tour
1. ROOTSTOWN ROAD WELL: From Mantua or Ravenna: Take 44 south to Sandy Lake Road. Go west (right) on Sandy Lake Road to Rootstown Rd. The Consol Energy well site is at the intersection of Tallmadge Rd. (Rt. 18) and Rootstown Rds., in Rootstown Twp.. From Kent: 59 east to Powdermill, south on Powdermill to Meloy, left (east and south) on Meloy to Sandy Lake, and left (east) on Sandy Lake to the well at intersection w/Rootstown Rd. From south: 44 to Tallmadge in Rootstown, west (left) on Tallmadge about a half mile to right on Rootstown Rd. to site at Sandy Lake and Rootstown Rds. This horizontal hydrofrack well belongs to Consol Energy. No studies yet on loss of property values from wells like this. In PA, some homes are 50% to 15% off.
2. “L'IL MARLBORO WELL”: Return to Route 44, go south through Randolph and New Baltimore. 1.2 miles past route 619, just before Nimishillen Church Road, you'll see the well pad (derrick may or may not still be up). Security is tight, so we do not know how many well heads are on this particular pad, but a pad may have from 6 to 12 well heads, each one requiring around 5 million gallons of water per fracking, much of which will have to be sent back underground to its eternal—we have to hope-- resting place.
3. Off now to “Big Marlboro.” Take 619 (east) for about 3.3 miles, and look for a hydrofracked well on the right (south) between Lair and Taylor Roads. This is a Ray Pander Trucking Company well. Notice the evaporation pit, whose safety depends on the mil of the plastic used to line it. May leak or overflow.
4. Continue EAST on 619 to Route 183, 4 miles. Turn left (north) on 183 and follow 9.7 miles to Edinburgh Township. At #3217, Rt. 183, look right: this is one of “Mr. Salty's” disposal/injection wells. Official acronym: SWDW (salt water disposal well). Safety relies on cement casing, and 50% of these injection well casings leak within 15 years.
5. Continue north on Route 183 to State Route 14. Turn left toward Ravenna .1 mile to Tallmadge Avenue. Turn left, 2.6 miles to #5343 to see another Mr. Salty's disposal well. Ohio accepts brine from New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, to name a few states that refuse to store their own flowback and production fluids.
6. Continue .5 miles west on Tallmadge, where Pep Drilling has a derrick up on the right for hydrofracking. Every wellhead on a pad (as many as 12) requires about 1000 semi-size trucks to haul in water and chemicals; their toxic footprint includes exhaust emissions, noise, wear on roads, traffic accidents, and potential spills.
Tour de Frack #2: The Micro-Tour (Route 88 through Garrettsville, Hiram, and Parkman.)
1. From Garrettsville, take SR88 north to JUST south of the Geauga County line. On the left, you will see another MISTER SALTY’S injection well. “Brine” (salty but not good for dill pickles) is disposed of these injection wells under pressure. There is the possibility of cracking well casings contaminating aquifers, and earthquakes may result from injected fluids “greasing” sedimentary layers.
2. Enervest Energy Headquarters are on the right side of Route 88, just inside the Portage County line. Another landmark for the residents of Portage and Geauga to be proud of. The company is happy too, because all their chemicals are proprietary—they don’t have to tell anyone what they are using.
Tour de Frack #3: The Shock and Awe Tour --a nice Sunday drive.
You are looking for the Route 5 injection wells. These are interesting because there is a drive-through component. If you see trucks dumping brine, you may see how this technology works.
Take SR 5 EAST toward Trumbull County. Just shy of State Route 534—at the corner of Newton Falls, Portage, and Windham Roads, notice the GREEN tanks on the left. Do first responders know what's in them? Will they know what to do to save lives and limit damage if there is an explosion or spills at this site?
Did you know that the ODNR has complete control over when wells are permitted & where wells are located?
Even local zoning laws can’t prevent the siting of a well!
ON YOUR WAY BACK WEST CATCH THE SOINSKI WELLS: APPROACH WITH CAUTION
1. From the intersection of 534 and 82, take 82 back west to Parkman Road (4-5 miles), go right (north) on Parkman Rd to Silica Sand Rd., turn right (east) on Silica Sand, and at the intersection with Frazier Rd., find a hydrofracked production well. (The rig was there at this writing.) Note “sound blanket” around pad and how close houses are, both west and north. Continue east on Silica Sand, noting MK signs for trucks and the truck-parking facility along this road. Note model Jeeps and Hummers at gate-- adverts for Soinski's driving/shooting range. Might there be some danger in having a firing range so close to fracking and injection wells? Who knows? Nobody official seems concerned. Continue east on Silica Sand Road .2 miles. Notice the permits poster at first drive on right. Continue .2 miles to the second drive. The access to the property is on the right. Continue to the third drive. Check out #10230, across the street on the north side. Go right (south)on Colton back to SR82, and turn right (west) to get back to Garrettsville. Note the truck road M/K has built from SR82 into the seven (!) injection wells slated for the south side of the property.
2. Coming into Garrettsville, just before Sky Plaza, look right along Liberty Street, where two wells are in the works by Summit Petroleum of Twinsburg. One is called the “Craver Nedelka” well and is for now a simple vertical well but may be fracked later. Note new housing development right next door. Continue on 82 to to SR88 (traffic light), left onto 88 south, right atg 303 .6 miles to 88. Go left, and follow 1.6 miles to the site. Notice the large 4 x 8 piece of white painted plywood on your right and the driveway entrance to the newly permitted to a Chesapeake well. This is a to-be-hydrofracked well at #8327 State Route 88.
3. Continue on 88 south to Limeridge Road, .7 miles. Turn right on Limeridge Road and go .5 miles to Wygle Rd. Turn left on Wygle Road and go .3 miles. Notice the yard sign on your left at #5632 Wygle, and look across the road to the construction site. This is a hydrofracked site. If the sign is down and there is no action, the well has become a mystery.
4. Follow Wygle Road west .5 miles to Cooley Road, right on Cooley .1 miles to Gray, left on Gray for .5 miles, left on Peck 1.2 miles to Lake Rockwell Road. Turn right on Lake Rockwell, go .7 miles to Nicodemus, right on Nicodemus for .4 miles. Notice the driveway on the right that goes way back. This is at #7979 Nicodemus, a saltwater injection well, owned by Petrox, Inc.
5. Continue north on Nicodemus .8 miles. Bear left at the curve past the Morgan Wildlife Preserve, .3 miles to 44. Route 44 takes you north back to Shalersville/Mantua. The Morgan Preserve cannot be drilled as it is a nature preserve—at least for now.
Tour de Frack #4: Debbie-O’s Magical Mystery Tour
Take Route 44 south through Randolph to #2033. Continue south to the Fairgrounds. Look west, across the street.There is a VERY long driveway, posted: HUGE injection well suspected here!
Park for a few minutes to meditate on how rock layers form. One study has shown that brine in Pennsylvania moved 1000’s of vertical feet, from one layer to another—so rock layers don’t ALWAYS seal in materials. And rock in Ohio is much more permeable (which is why more brine can be forced into them under pressure.) Doesn’t that suggest vertical movement is possible here—of contaminants into the aquifer from which we all drink?
Maybe you can solve the mystery of this site; but be careful—wells have
Incredible security—but why? Are they doing something that should be kept secret?
Tour de Frack #5: Sheldon/Allyn Injection Well—another Pander operation
1. Start on Route 44 at Route 82. (Mantua). Drive .9 miles on 82 east to Sheldon Road. Turn left, north, on Sheldon to Allyn Road. Turn right on Allyn Road and go .9 miles. Salt water injection well is on the right, next to a small pond, and between an orchard and a tree farm. This well is operated by Ray Pander Trucking. This lively place draws 18-wheelers from PA, WVA, even Texas, most of which rumble through Hiram Village, home of idyllic, rural Hiram College.
2. Turn around and follow Allyn Road back toward Sheldon. Turn left on Sheldon to Route 82. Turn left on 82 (east) and go 2 miles. There is a newly permitted well on the left, exactly 1 mile west of downtown Hiram. This well is Cedar Valley Energy, “Collier Unit.”
After this drive, imagine the 1,000 more horizontal wells predicted in Ohio for next year, & all the disposal wells that will require. If that worries you, call your township trustees, your state representatives and senators. Tell them they lose your vote if they support this invasion of our land, this wanton destruction of our water, air, property values and quality of life.
Accurate as of 10-24-2012
See some of our nation’s 680,000 underground hazardous chemical Class 2 disposal wells—Portage County already has 16, more than any other county in Ohio-- and 9 more drillers have permits pending (as of early Oct.).
Tour de Frack #1: The Mini-Tour
1. ROOTSTOWN ROAD WELL: From Mantua or Ravenna: Take 44 south to Sandy Lake Road. Go west (right) on Sandy Lake Road to Rootstown Rd. The Consol Energy well site is at the intersection of Tallmadge Rd. (Rt. 18) and Rootstown Rds., in Rootstown Twp.. From Kent: 59 east to Powdermill, south on Powdermill to Meloy, left (east and south) on Meloy to Sandy Lake, and left (east) on Sandy Lake to the well at intersection w/Rootstown Rd. From south: 44 to Tallmadge in Rootstown, west (left) on Tallmadge about a half mile to right on Rootstown Rd. to site at Sandy Lake and Rootstown Rds. This horizontal hydrofrack well belongs to Consol Energy. No studies yet on loss of property values from wells like this. In PA, some homes are 50% to 15% off.
2. “L'IL MARLBORO WELL”: Return to Route 44, go south through Randolph and New Baltimore. 1.2 miles past route 619, just before Nimishillen Church Road, you'll see the well pad (derrick may or may not still be up). Security is tight, so we do not know how many well heads are on this particular pad, but a pad may have from 6 to 12 well heads, each one requiring around 5 million gallons of water per fracking, much of which will have to be sent back underground to its eternal—we have to hope-- resting place.
3. Off now to “Big Marlboro.” Take 619 (east) for about 3.3 miles, and look for a hydrofracked well on the right (south) between Lair and Taylor Roads. This is a Ray Pander Trucking Company well. Notice the evaporation pit, whose safety depends on the mil of the plastic used to line it. May leak or overflow.
4. Continue EAST on 619 to Route 183, 4 miles. Turn left (north) on 183 and follow 9.7 miles to Edinburgh Township. At #3217, Rt. 183, look right: this is one of “Mr. Salty's” disposal/injection wells. Official acronym: SWDW (salt water disposal well). Safety relies on cement casing, and 50% of these injection well casings leak within 15 years.
5. Continue north on Route 183 to State Route 14. Turn left toward Ravenna .1 mile to Tallmadge Avenue. Turn left, 2.6 miles to #5343 to see another Mr. Salty's disposal well. Ohio accepts brine from New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, to name a few states that refuse to store their own flowback and production fluids.
6. Continue .5 miles west on Tallmadge, where Pep Drilling has a derrick up on the right for hydrofracking. Every wellhead on a pad (as many as 12) requires about 1000 semi-size trucks to haul in water and chemicals; their toxic footprint includes exhaust emissions, noise, wear on roads, traffic accidents, and potential spills.
Tour de Frack #2: The Micro-Tour (Route 88 through Garrettsville, Hiram, and Parkman.)
1. From Garrettsville, take SR88 north to JUST south of the Geauga County line. On the left, you will see another MISTER SALTY’S injection well. “Brine” (salty but not good for dill pickles) is disposed of these injection wells under pressure. There is the possibility of cracking well casings contaminating aquifers, and earthquakes may result from injected fluids “greasing” sedimentary layers.
2. Enervest Energy Headquarters are on the right side of Route 88, just inside the Portage County line. Another landmark for the residents of Portage and Geauga to be proud of. The company is happy too, because all their chemicals are proprietary—they don’t have to tell anyone what they are using.
Tour de Frack #3: The Shock and Awe Tour --a nice Sunday drive.
You are looking for the Route 5 injection wells. These are interesting because there is a drive-through component. If you see trucks dumping brine, you may see how this technology works.
Take SR 5 EAST toward Trumbull County. Just shy of State Route 534—at the corner of Newton Falls, Portage, and Windham Roads, notice the GREEN tanks on the left. Do first responders know what's in them? Will they know what to do to save lives and limit damage if there is an explosion or spills at this site?
Did you know that the ODNR has complete control over when wells are permitted & where wells are located?
Even local zoning laws can’t prevent the siting of a well!
ON YOUR WAY BACK WEST CATCH THE SOINSKI WELLS: APPROACH WITH CAUTION
1. From the intersection of 534 and 82, take 82 back west to Parkman Road (4-5 miles), go right (north) on Parkman Rd to Silica Sand Rd., turn right (east) on Silica Sand, and at the intersection with Frazier Rd., find a hydrofracked production well. (The rig was there at this writing.) Note “sound blanket” around pad and how close houses are, both west and north. Continue east on Silica Sand, noting MK signs for trucks and the truck-parking facility along this road. Note model Jeeps and Hummers at gate-- adverts for Soinski's driving/shooting range. Might there be some danger in having a firing range so close to fracking and injection wells? Who knows? Nobody official seems concerned. Continue east on Silica Sand Road .2 miles. Notice the permits poster at first drive on right. Continue .2 miles to the second drive. The access to the property is on the right. Continue to the third drive. Check out #10230, across the street on the north side. Go right (south)on Colton back to SR82, and turn right (west) to get back to Garrettsville. Note the truck road M/K has built from SR82 into the seven (!) injection wells slated for the south side of the property.
2. Coming into Garrettsville, just before Sky Plaza, look right along Liberty Street, where two wells are in the works by Summit Petroleum of Twinsburg. One is called the “Craver Nedelka” well and is for now a simple vertical well but may be fracked later. Note new housing development right next door. Continue on 82 to to SR88 (traffic light), left onto 88 south, right atg 303 .6 miles to 88. Go left, and follow 1.6 miles to the site. Notice the large 4 x 8 piece of white painted plywood on your right and the driveway entrance to the newly permitted to a Chesapeake well. This is a to-be-hydrofracked well at #8327 State Route 88.
3. Continue on 88 south to Limeridge Road, .7 miles. Turn right on Limeridge Road and go .5 miles to Wygle Rd. Turn left on Wygle Road and go .3 miles. Notice the yard sign on your left at #5632 Wygle, and look across the road to the construction site. This is a hydrofracked site. If the sign is down and there is no action, the well has become a mystery.
4. Follow Wygle Road west .5 miles to Cooley Road, right on Cooley .1 miles to Gray, left on Gray for .5 miles, left on Peck 1.2 miles to Lake Rockwell Road. Turn right on Lake Rockwell, go .7 miles to Nicodemus, right on Nicodemus for .4 miles. Notice the driveway on the right that goes way back. This is at #7979 Nicodemus, a saltwater injection well, owned by Petrox, Inc.
5. Continue north on Nicodemus .8 miles. Bear left at the curve past the Morgan Wildlife Preserve, .3 miles to 44. Route 44 takes you north back to Shalersville/Mantua. The Morgan Preserve cannot be drilled as it is a nature preserve—at least for now.
Tour de Frack #4: Debbie-O’s Magical Mystery Tour
Take Route 44 south through Randolph to #2033. Continue south to the Fairgrounds. Look west, across the street.There is a VERY long driveway, posted: HUGE injection well suspected here!
Park for a few minutes to meditate on how rock layers form. One study has shown that brine in Pennsylvania moved 1000’s of vertical feet, from one layer to another—so rock layers don’t ALWAYS seal in materials. And rock in Ohio is much more permeable (which is why more brine can be forced into them under pressure.) Doesn’t that suggest vertical movement is possible here—of contaminants into the aquifer from which we all drink?
Maybe you can solve the mystery of this site; but be careful—wells have
Incredible security—but why? Are they doing something that should be kept secret?
Tour de Frack #5: Sheldon/Allyn Injection Well—another Pander operation
1. Start on Route 44 at Route 82. (Mantua). Drive .9 miles on 82 east to Sheldon Road. Turn left, north, on Sheldon to Allyn Road. Turn right on Allyn Road and go .9 miles. Salt water injection well is on the right, next to a small pond, and between an orchard and a tree farm. This well is operated by Ray Pander Trucking. This lively place draws 18-wheelers from PA, WVA, even Texas, most of which rumble through Hiram Village, home of idyllic, rural Hiram College.
2. Turn around and follow Allyn Road back toward Sheldon. Turn left on Sheldon to Route 82. Turn left on 82 (east) and go 2 miles. There is a newly permitted well on the left, exactly 1 mile west of downtown Hiram. This well is Cedar Valley Energy, “Collier Unit.”
After this drive, imagine the 1,000 more horizontal wells predicted in Ohio for next year, & all the disposal wells that will require. If that worries you, call your township trustees, your state representatives and senators. Tell them they lose your vote if they support this invasion of our land, this wanton destruction of our water, air, property values and quality of life.
