Were destroying their homes, were destroying their lives.

To Frac or not to Frac?

It was peaceful outside in southwest Ohio, with birds chirping and a quiet wind
blowing. Drinking a glass of orange juice, reading Mockingjay, swinging in an
emerald bathing suit, I watched squirrels race up the oaks and Cardinals soar from
yard to yard. I listened to the creek mumble as kids skipped rocks across its surface,
and I saw a frog jump from one boulder to the next while fish swam freely. Cows
were grazing across the field while pigs laid in a mound of mud. Southwest Ohio was
peaceful, across the state was violent.
Eastern Ohio sits upon 20 trillion cubic feet of untapped natural gas. The value is
over $100 billion. Nocturnal animals are awakened, migrating birds are disturbed,
and farm animals are poisoned by 900-1300 truckloads of materials for a drilling
process they call hydraulic fracturing (fracking). {Insert comment from Buckeye
Forest Council about fracking and animal concerns}.
Fracking makes it possible to reach these natural gas reserves. Due to the HB 133
bill (Ohio States Biennial Budget Bill) Ohio State Parks are open for oil and gas
drilling. The process uses sand, water, and chemicals injected at high pressures to
blast open shale rock and release trapped gas inside. The fracking fluid is known to
contain carcinogens and toxins such as, lead, uranium, mercury, ethylene glycol,
radium, methanol, hydrochloric acid, and formaldehyde. And the list goes on. The
question for humanity is: Is the money worth harming our wildlife?
What about their water?
The Ohio Ornithological Society (a society that represents the cause for bird
protection) thinks not. In an open letter, they state that Nearly all of our streams
have been dammed, straightened, or de-forested, leaving Ohio with very few
remaining natural and scenic waterways. This means that our native birds and
aquatic life have been considerably reduced as fracking degrades our natural water
sources. {Insert comment from the Ohio Ornithological Society with a percentage of
water sources harmed}.
The Akron Beacon-Journal published a series of articles that noted, Ohios surface
water is not well protected. Oil contractors do not need a permit to withdraw water
from Ohio streams needed to open shale rock. There is one rule that says if they
withdraw more than 100,000 gallons per day, they must register with the states
Division of Soil and Water Resources. Still, there is no limit to how much can be
withdrawn. Its a simple notification and signing on a dotted line for a contractor
that will continue to destroy our streams and harm the wildlife that calls them
home.

What about their home?

The drilling noise alone can affect bird species and wildlife, specifically nocturnal
animals. Air compressors and traffic are just two of the sources of noise associated
with fracking activities. How would you feel if your sleep was disrupted by trucks
coming and going through your neighborhood? Thats what these nocturnal animals,
such as the raccoon, beaver, and White-tailed deer in our forests are experiencing
and the intrusions can alter their behavior. They might become aggressive. They
might leave their habitat. They might not reproduce. If this is the case, there will be
more animals added to the Endangered Species List. And, who wants that?
In fact, one study found that a single drilling station can affect 30 acres of forest.
The effects are degradation of habitat and interference with migration and
reproduction. Think about it. The things these birds and other species were born to
domigrate and reproduceare being taken away. This could lead to a total flop
in our ecosystem. And it doesnt look as though fracking will stop anytime soon.
According to the Buckeye Forest Council (an Ohio based organization that protects
Ohios native forests and their inhabitants) the Ohio Division of Forestry (ODF) is
reversing 14 years of management. This means they are announcing new plans to
eliminate 8,000 acres of natural forest in Ohio, specifically in Shawnee State Forest.
Nathan Johnson, a conservation leader and staff attorney at the BFA says that, This
is a big and unfortunate development that would shortchange both the public and
some of the states most sensitive species.
Today, Blue Rock State Forest (a state park in Muskingham County, Ohio) is home to
sensitive and state-designated threatened and endangered species. This includes
the timber rattlesnake, the river redhorse (fish), the bobcat, and the eastern box
turtle. The Black Bear species may also be present in the area where fracking will
occur. The sad part of fracking in our native forests is that these animals dont have
a voice. They cant create a petition to move fracking elsewhere, but you can.
Remember that you have a voice.
What about our farms?
Im not a farmer. I dont know any farmers. In fact, Ive never been to a working
farm. But I find solace watching the cows graze their grassy land as Im en route to
my apartment. Not because I know they could be sent to the meat packing plant the
next day, but because they look peaceful, because they seem happy, because in
that momentthats their home.
Our wildlife animals are not the only ones in harms way. Cows, pigs, and chickens
are all victims of food poisoning. Contaminated surface water has killed farm
animals because fracking fluid was handled improperly. {Insert comment from Dr.
Haynes on water toxicity}. It only takes a small spill of the highly toxic mixture to
have a large impact on our farm animals. Since they are attracted to the saltiness of
fracking fluids they swallow fatal quantities and meet an untimely, unfair, and
unwanted death.
Cornell University researchers conducted a year-long study of farm animals and
fracking. In one case, 17 cows died because fracking fluids were spilled across their

pasture and into their drinking water. It killed them within an hour, a quick, yet
painful death.
On the other hand, if the animals dont die by drinking contaminated water, they
will surely have reproductive repercussions. Forty percent of the chemicals in the
fracking fluid are known to be endocrine disruptors which interfere with the bodys
natural reproductive system. Some of the cows in the Cornell study were expectant
mothers and produced stillborn calves and a few goats exhibited reproductive
problems. The chemicals will cause infertility in male and female livestock, leaving
the animals for a life less purposeful.
What can we do?
It is gloomy outside in southwest Ohio, with birds hiding and a rush of cool air
gusting. Drinking a cup of coffee, pulling up my blinds, looking out my window, I
watched a deer run across the road and a farmer herd cows into his barn. I listened
to the rain hit the concrete on my back porch, and I saw two chipmunks run from
tree to tree, dodging the huge rain drops. My Golden Retriever sat in a puddle, stuck
his nose up, and breathed in the fresh air. Southwest Ohio was gloomy, but
southeast Ohio was worse.
As I watched my beloved canine companion enjoy the outdoors, I thought of all the
animalswildlife and livestockin southeast Ohio. They dont go out to enjoy fresh
air, they live in the fresh air. Their home is the outdoors. We, humans, are taking
away their home.
If we take time to understand the life cycles and movements of wildlife species
before beginning the fracking process, we could help reduce the negative impacts
of energy development on wildlife. The animals that have created a home in our
national parks are iconic and valued species. We should treat them with respect and
plan carefully. We should not forget that livestock needs fresh water, fresh air, and
fresh land. They have the right to reproduce healthy young, just like humans do.
Whether its the Coyote or Red Fox, whether its the dairy cow or chicken, we have a
duty to protect these animalsbecause we can.