BEN & Partners News Coverage

Letter to the Editor: Letter raises concerns over Ohio carbon hub

September 7, 2026

The Ohio Valley tri-state area has been selected by Tenaska, a Nebraska-based company, for its “energy hub”…

Read more: Your Ohio News

Washington County Injection Wells: What We Know, and What MASH Focus Is Investigating Next

September 5, 2026

For years, people in Washington County have been raising increasingly valid concerns about injection wells — the wells that take leftover wastewater from oil and gas drilling and put it underground…

Read more: Medium

Washington County residents renew demands for action on injection wells after meeting with ODNR

August 25, 2026

MARIETTA, Ohio (WTAP) – Washington County residents are making renewed demands for action and answers on injection wells from state officials, after a meeting with Ohio regulators last week and a pointed follow-up letter…

Read more: WTAP

Washington County, Ohio, rejects injection well moratorium amid oilfield waste fears

August 21, 2026

A proposal to pause a type of injection well used for oil drilling failed in Washington County, Ohio, but the debate made clear that fears over oilfield waste disposal and drinking water safety are not going away anytime soon…

Read more: The Cool Down 

Marietta residents fight fracking brine disposal, call it ‘Russian roulette’

August 20, 2026

Since 2025, residents, activists and local organizers have sounded the alarm about the possibility that toxic, radioactive wastewater stored thousands of feet underground could migrate into the region’s drinking water…

Read more: The Columbus Dispatch

Washington County Commissioner calls for moratorium on injection wells

August 14, 2026

MARIETTA – Washington County Commissioner Greg Nohe’s motion to prepare a moratorium on…

Read more: Marietta Times, Parkersburg News and Sentinel

Thousands of acres of land in Wayne National Forest to be opened up to oil and gas drilling

August 13, 2026

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ohio — A Trump administration plan to lease lands in the Wayne National Forest for oil and gas development has raised the ire of environmentalists…

Read more: Athens Messenger

The Sound of Ideas – 8-13-2026

August 13, 2026

This program highlights concerns around injection wells in Ohio and the bipartisan fight for better regulations. This episode features Rep. Tristan Rader, Marietta City Council President Susan Vessels, Cleveland State University Biological and Geological Science Professor Kevin Mueller, and a call from our Advisory Board Member Roxanne Groff, who shares more of the history of the fight...

Watch here: The Sound of Ideas

More Ohio communities fighting air pollution from pyrolysis facilities

August 12, 2026

After a pyrolysis facility in Hebron, Ohio, shut down, leaving behind a string of environmental violations, other communities across the state are paying closer attention to the public health threat posed by plastic incineration…

Read more: Public News Service, Big News Network

Marietta forced into a toxic game. I am a Republican. Ramaswamy sees us as whiners | Opinion

August 10, 2026

The state of Ohio is forcing my hometown, Marietta, to play an unnerving game of Russian roulette. One wrong move, and our drinking water aquifer could be contaminated with radioactive, toxic and extremely salty fracking wastewater…

Read more: The Columbus Dispatch, AOL

Injection well concerns bubbling up

August 10, 2026

MARIETTA ‌– ‌Injection ‌wells have become a national flashpoint following an article in the New York Times, which references events in and around Marietta…

Read more: The Inter-Mountain 

Wayne fracking permits OK’d despite pending legal dispute

August 6, 2026

MONROE COUNTY, Ohio — A group of environmental organizations filed documents in federal court July 21, arguing that federal agencies violated a 2021 court order by approving fracking permits for the Wayne National Forest’s Marietta Unit earlier this year…

Read more: Athens County Independent 

Commissioners adopt anti-data center resolution

August 6, 2026

ATHENS, Ohio — The Athens County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday adopted a resolution declaring that “the county cannot support the building of or the resources needed to fulfill the needs of the development of Data Centers”…..

Read more: Athens County Independent 

Athens County Commission: Commissioners pass resolution opposing construction of data centers

August 5, 2026

On Tuesday, the Athens County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution opposing the construction of data centers in Athens County…

Read more: The Athens Messenger 

Ohioans want comment period extended for state oil and gas rules

August 4, 2026

Ohio regulators said the state’s existing rules for the oil and gas industry do not need any changes but environmental groups disagree…

Read more: Public News Service, WCSM Radio

Ohio should treat the threat of radioactive fracking waste like the emergency that it is

August 4, 2026

Southeastern Ohio has a serious problem underground. Now that problem is reaching the surface and threatening our drinking water…

Read more: Ohio Capital Journal, News From the States, TiffinOhio.net

Toenail clippings, baby teeth requested for Ohio State study about oilfield brine

August 3, 2026

HEATH, Ohio — Should a material that contains known carcinogens and radioactive isotopes be legal to spray where children play, farmers grow food and families drive every day? …

Read more: 10 WBNS

Reminder: last chance to submit a comment on Oil & Gas rules

August 3, 2026

Once every five years, ODNR is required to update its Oil and Gas rules. The agency has begun its latest review and is holding a two-week public comment period that ends tomorrow…

Read more: Columbus Free Press 

Toxic wastewater found bubbling up from ground in Ohio, reports ‘NYT’

July 31, 2026

There are more than 240 injection wells for the disposal of oil and gas waste here in Ohio. That’s because decades ago, our state received permission from the federal government to regulate our own injection wells…

Read more: [614] Now

Why do these researchers want your baby teeth?

July 30, 2026

For more than four decades, oilfield brine has been spread across Ohio roadways, but its radioactive contents are known to cause serious health issues…

Read more: The Reporting Project, AP News, Chicago Tribune, US News and World Report, The Washington Post, WOSU, Newsday, The Canadian Press, Spectrum News, Star Beacon, Daily Corinthian, WKYC, 10 WBNS, CT Insider, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Mineral News and Tribune, WINK News

Local residents speak out against data center

July 30, 2026

ATHENS, Ohio — Both the Athens County Commissioners and the Athens Township Trustees showed support for anti-data center measures at their respective regular meetings on Tuesday….

Read more: Athens County Independent

Brian Chavez is Republican rule in rural Ohio

July 30, 2026

The average Ohio State Senator sees themselves somewhere between Alexander the Great and Cicero in civilization’s pantheon of Real Serious Guys. Senator Brian Chavez (R-Marietta) is one such example…

Read more: The Rooster

Athens County Commission: Commissioners support resolution opposing data centers

July 29, 2026

On Tuesday, the Athens County Board of Commissioners were presented with a draft resolution from a group of concerned citizens opposing the construction of data centers in Athens County…

Read more: The Athens Messenger

In Ohio, Toxic Wastewater Is Bubbling Up Out of the Ground

July 29, 2026

The state is a major importer of fracking wastewater, which gets pumped underground but doesn’t always stay there. The city of Marietta is fighting back….

Read more: The New York Times

Ohio Town: Toxic Fracking Wastewater Surfacing From Wells

July 29, 2026

Residents and local officials in southeastern Ohio are warning that underground disposal wells used for radioactive oil and gas wastewater could eventually threaten the drinking water supply for thousands of people, prompting renewed calls for state regulators to halt new permits….

Read more: Newsmax

Columbus Residents Overwhelmingly Demand Data Center Moratorium and Stronger Environmental Protections

July 24, 2026

Twenty-four people provided testimony on draft data center policy proposed by Columbus City Council’s Public Utilities and Sustainability Committee Wednesday night. The community overwhelmingly called for a moratorium and stronger protections….

Read more: Columbus Free Press

Brine migration poses threat to oil and natural gas wells, drinking water in Washington County

July 24, 2026

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ohio — A  coalition of concerned Ohioans achieved a significant victory after four injection wells in Washington County were shut down earlier this  month….

Read more: The Athens Messenger

Columbus looks to regulate data center developments

July 23, 2026

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — With rapid data center development in central Ohio, Columbus City Council is drafting policies that would regulate how they can operate in the future…..

Read more: NBC 4

Columbus City Council to pursue data center regulations instead of ban despite community demands

July 23, 2026

Columbus City Council put forth some new ideas for data center regulations, but residents responding to these ideas at a public hearing Wednesday say the city should be doing much more, with many calling for a moratorium……

Read more: WOSU

Columbus residents urge council to impose tight restrictions on potential data centers in city limits

July 23, 2026

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus residents voiced concerns over the impact of large data centers during a nearly three-hour public hearing before Columbus City Council…….

Read more: 10 WBNS

Data center opponents say Columbus proposal is a start, but falls short

July 22, 2026

Some residents and environmental advocates are urging Columbus to take a harder line on data centers, calling for a ban, moratorium or stronger regulations than those proposed by City Councilmember Christopher Wyche…

Read more: The Columbus Dispatch

Opinion: To meet climate goals, Columbus leaders must address data centers

July 21, 2026

With the City Council presenting its draft proposal for municipal data center policy this week, residents must seize the moment to demand meaningful safeguards that will actually minimize the climate impacts of data centers…

Read more: Matter News

Ohio injection well operations stop after suspected leaks

July 21, 2026

The owners of several injection wells in Washington County voluntarily agreed to stop using them after state officials warned they could be leaking…

Read more: Public News Service 

Leaking Ohio injection wells spark fears radioactive brine will reach drinking water

July 19, 2026

After fracking waste from one disposal well was found to have moved underground for miles, residents in southeastern Ohio say the leak signals a threat to Marietta’s drinking water…

Read more: The Cool Down, Yahoo News

Out of Sight, Out of Mind’ was always a fantasy: Ohio’s fracking waste crisis is here

July 17, 2026

For years, critics warned that Ohio’s solution to fracking waste was not a solution at all. Pump millions of gallons of toxic, radioactive brine thousands of feet underground, apply massive pressure, and just hope it stays put…

Read more: Cleveland.com

Google is building a $500 million data center in rural Ohio. Neighbors are furious

July 16, 2026

AMERICAN TOWNSHIP, Ohio – Over 373 acres of pancake flat, former farmland, Google is building a $500 million data center here, about seven miles northwest of the county seat of Lima…

Read more: Signal Ohio

ODNR details process before Washington County injection well shutdown

July 16, 2026

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ohio (WTAP) – New information released by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources details how the agency arrived at last week’s decision to halt operations at four Washington County injection wells — a process the agency said started months before the wells were shut down…

Read more: WTAP

Ohio prompts closure of 4 fracking waste wells as fears mount over water supply contamination

July 16, 2026

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Ohio regulators spurred four Washington County injection wells that receive fracking waste to stop operating after determining they may be tainting nearby oil and gas wells….

Read more: Cleveland.com

Ohio asks 4 injection wells to shut down, suspects frack wastewater is migrating to other wells

July 14, 2026

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) requested that the owners of four disposal wells in Washington County for wastewater from oil and gas drilling temporarily cease operations…

Read more: The Allegheny Front

‘The precipice of an emergency.’ Marietta residents worry drinking water could become contaminated.

July 14, 2026

Washington County residents are raising concerns that injection wells in southeastern Ohio leaking brine waste will eventually pollute Marietta’s drinking water…

Read more: Ohio Capital Journal, The Repository

Four Washington County injection wells stop operating over concerns of migrating waste

July 13, 2026

The owners of four injection wells, which store waste from oil and natural gas production, voluntarily stopped their operations in Washington County earlier this month, at the request of state regulators…

Read more: The Ohio Newsroom 

Four injection wells in Washington County shut down due to brine migration

July 10, 2026

SALEM, Ohio — Four class II injection wells in Washington County, Ohio, were recently shut down due to migration of brine waste, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Oil and Gas Resource Management….

Read more: Farm and Dairy 

Washington County injection wells stop operating amid migration concerns

July 10, 2026

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ohio — Four Washington County fracking waste injection wells have ceased operations following a request from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management, according to a statement from ODNR… 

Read more: Athens County Independent

ODNR: Four injection wells cease operations amid brine migration concerns

July 10, 2026

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ohio (WTAP) – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says four injection wells in Washington County have stopped operating — years after local residents started raising concerns and months after local governments in Washington County asked for a moratorium on the wells… 

Read more: WTAP

Advanced Recycling Hits a Rough Patch

July 9, 2026

Nationwide, less than 10 percent of discarded plastic gets recycled. A lot of plastic products are tricky to recycle. Most of it goes straight to the landfill…..

Read more: The New York Times

Buckeye Environmental Network calls for ODNR action on Washington County injection wells after brine migration concerns

July 9, 2026

Buckeye Environmental Network called on state officials to suspend injection operations in part of Washington County and conduct a broader investigation into brine migration during a press conference focused on the Redbird #4 Class II injection well and nearby conventional oil and gas wells…

Read more: The Marietta Times, Parkersburg News and Sentinel

Rader, Environmental Groups, Oil/Gas Drillers Call for State Action on Injection Drilling Waste Brine

July 8, 2026

Environmental activists, conventional oil and gas producers and at least one member of the Ohio House called on the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) on Tuesday to launch a long-term investigation into the effects of underground migration of waste brine from injection oil and gas wells in Southeast Ohio into conventional oil and gas wells as well as the region’s water supply….

Read more: Ohio House of Representatives

Brine contamination hurting local economy, environment, group contends

July 7, 2026

Reports of brine contamination in Washington County are catching the eye of one House Democrat. The Buckeye Environmental Network detailed in a new report that injections of brine waste into an oil and gas disposal well have effectively caused production to grind to a halt…

Read more: Gongwer Ohio

Episode 17: Plastic Pyrolysis = Green Washing!

June 30, 2026

In this episode of Green Arenas, host Robert Carrillo speaks with Cat Adams of Buckeye Environmental Network about the hidden dangers of plastic pyrolysis, a technology often marketed as “chemical recycling”

Listen Here: Green Arenas Podcast

Pyrolysis plan for downtown Youngstown is dead

June 25, 2026

Pyrolysis — the process that converts rubber tire chips into energy — is officially dead in downtown Youngstown…

Read More: WFMJ

Her Son Died of a Rare Bone Cancer. Could Radioactive Fracking Waste Be to Blame?

June 18, 2026

As Janice Blanock peered through the chain link fence running along a popular bike and walking trail near her home in the Pittsburgh suburbs, she wondered if she was looking at something connected to her teen son Luke’s death from a rare cancer a decade ago: a large oil and gas industry storage yard filled with used pipes and discarded hoses, the ground strewn with flakes of rusting metal…

Read More: The Rolling Stone, DeSmog

Tech Tuesday: Central Ohio recycling plant pauses operations after multiple EPA violations

June 16, 2026

There are many different methods that companies use to recycle those plastic water bottles you toss in the blue bin. One of those ways is called chemical recycling…

Read More: WOSU

Ohio environmental and activist organizations call on PUCO to freeze electricity rate increases

June 15, 2026

Representatives from several organizations across Ohio held a press conference outside of the Columbus Convention Center Monday afternoon to demand the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to make utilities more affordable…

Read More: WOSU

Residents rejoice as recycling plant announces closure

June 15, 2026

HEBRON, Ohio (WCMH) — A Licking County recycling plant announced it is shutting down operations in July…

Read More: NBC 4

Advocates push for utility affordability reforms

June 15, 2026

COLUMBUS, Ohio — As utility bills continue to climb across Ohio, advocates from around the state are calling for action…

Read More: Spectrum News 1

How plastic recycled in Louisville may have gone up in smoke in Ohio

June 11, 2026

For more than two years, some plastics collected and sorted in Louisville’s recycling program were shipped to a controversial “chemical recycling” plant near Hebron, Ohio, which struggled to successfully recycle the plastics it took in ― and coughed up plumes of black smoke and toxic fumes in the process…

Read More: Courier Journal, AOL 

Freepoint Eco-Systems shuts down controversial plastics pyrolysis plant

June 11, 2026

Under pressure from activists and state environmental authorities, Freepoint Eco-Systems has suspended operations at its new plastics pyrolysis plant in Hebron, Ohio…

Read More: Chemical & Engineering News

Freepoint Eco-Systems suspends operations after 18 months with its goals to change plastic recycling unmet

June 9, 2026

When Freepoint Eco-Systems broke ground on its plastic “chemical recycling” plant in the Newark Industrial Park of Hebron in 2022, the company promised to provide a “game-changing approach” to managing plastic waste…

Read More: The Reporting Project

Freepoint Eco-Systems Plastics Incinerator to cease operations

June 8, 2026

Freepoint Eco-Systems notified the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency that it would suspend “advanced recycling” operations at its facility in Licking County, Ohio…

Read More: American Recycler

Freepoint Eco-Systems suspends recycling operations at Hebron plant

June 4, 2026

Freepoint Eco-Systems has suspended advanced plastics recycling operations at its Hebron facility amid environmental concerns from local residents and alleged EPA violations…

Read More: Newark Advocate

Freepoint Eco-Systems suspends Ohio operations after EPA notice

June 4, 2026

Chemical recycler Freepoint Eco-Systems has confirmed it is suspending operations at its Hebron facility in Ohio…

Read More: Eco-plastics in Packaging

Freepoint to close Hebron plastic recycling plant plagued by complaints, investigations

June 2, 2026

Freepoint Eco-Systems, a plastic recycling facility on Milliken Drive between Heath and Hebron, will suspend operations at the site after more than a year of complaints from neighboring residents and ongoing investigations from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency…

Read More: The Reporting Project

Ohio EPA probes Freepoint chemical recycling plant over pyrolysis claims

May 26, 2026

A Freepoint Eco-Systems chemical recycling plant in Ohio is facing probes from environmental regulators for failing to process enough plastic waste to get a coveted designation as a recycling facility and for violating air pollution regulations…

Read More: Plastic News

Report details repeated violations at Dennison Disposal injection wells

May 11, 2026

A new report from the Buckeye Environmental Network alleges repeated environmental violations, delayed enforcement and worsening contamination at Dennison Disposal’s Class II injection well facility in Tuscarawas County over the course of a year…

Read More: Your Ohio News

Time for full transparency on Ohio’s fracking waste practices: editorial

April 29, 2026

In February of last year, state Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan of Parma introduced a bill to require owners of all hydraulic fracturing (fracking) oil and gas well operations drilling in state parks “to disclose the chemical components of the materials used in the drilling operation”…

Read More: Cleveland.com

Washington County injection well opponents face setbacks

April 23, 2026

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Challengers to new Washington County injection wells faced two setbacks in the courts last week, with one case dismissed and another recommended for dismissal by a magistrate…

Read More: Athens County Independent

Ohio lawmaker demands transparency on 2015 oil spill

April 22, 2026

COLUMBUS, Ohio—State Rep. Sean Brennan is seeking answers from state environmental officials about unanswered questions surrounding a 2015 oil and gas spill in Trumbull County…

Read More: Cleveland.com

Rep. Brennan Requests Meeting with ODNR on Unanswered Questions from Trumbull County Contamination Event

April 20, 2026

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan (D–Parma) today formally requested a meeting with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to seek answers regarding unresolved questions tied to a 2015 oil and gas waste spill in Trumbull County…

Read More: Ohio House of Representatives

As a Plastic Waste Plant Violates Pollution Rules, Its Owner Makes the Case for a Second Location

April 20, 2026

Belching smoke from a new plastic waste processing plant in central Ohio has stirred opposition to an even larger “chemical recycling” factory planned for Arizona by the same company…

Read More: Inside Climate News, Tucson Sentinel 

Ohio Plastic Recycler Faces Multiple Violations as Arizona Expansion Looms

April 20, 2026

Hebron, Ohio — A plastic waste processing facility has ignited local outrage with repeated emissions of black smoke and flames since starting operations in 2024…

Read More: Climate Cosmos 

Letter to the Editor: We can do better

March 21, 2026

I am the owner and operator of 180 conventional oil and gas wells. As an industry, we can do better…

Read More: The Marietta Times

Letter to the Editor: Marietta without injection wells response

March 18, 2026

Recently (March 10th), the Times printed a Viewpoint titled, “What does Marietta look like without injection wells?” I’d like to respond to Mr Dole of the Accountability Project…

Read More: The Marietta Times

Ohio attorney general sues Cleveland-Cliffs, local oil and gas company over brine plant closure

March 13, 2026

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has sued steel company Cleveland-Cliffs and local oil and gas company Duck Creek Energy over the way they closed a plant that made deicing brine near the Cuyahoga River….

Read More: Cleveland.com

Columbus City Council meeting debates the local impact of data centers

March 12, 2026

Attendees at Wednesday’s City Council hearing disagreed over the basic facts: how much water would data centers need; how many long-term jobs they would create…

Read More: Matter News

Washington County water utilities join fight to stop injection wells

March 10, 2026

SALEM, Ohio — Calls for a moratorium on permitting new injection wells in southeast Ohio are getting louder as more local governments and utility boards join in the effort to protect local water supplies from fracking wastewater contamination…

Read More: Farm and Dairy

13-day Great Ohio Climate March will pass through Salt Fork State Park

March 10, 2026

Great Ohio Climate March participants will pass through Salt Fork State Park during the 13-day hike. The purpose of the march is to educate people about fracking, as well as present examples of cheap, emissions-free, and reliable clean renewable energy production in Ohio…

Read More: The Daily Jeff

Rural Ohioans finally fight against poisonous fracking waste the legislature has welcomed

March 10, 2026

A long-overdue rebellion is brewing in southeast Ohio — one directed squarely at the fracking wastewater industry, and at the state lawmakers who have spent years letting it hollow out the ground beneath rural communities…

Read More: Cleveland.com

Listen Here: Today in Ohio Cleveland.com Podcast

Water districts in Ohio join call for injection well moratorium

March 9, 2026

Five water districts and several municipalities in southeastern Ohio submitted a letter to Gov. Mike DeWine and state legislators on last week calling for a three-year pause on new waste injection wells in Washington County…

Read More: WESA

Opinion: Local citizens or paid consultant?

March 7, 2026

In his recent Viewpoint, “Local Columnist” Daniel McKenzie failed to share his credentials, and he did not say how long, if ever, he has lived in our community…

Read More: Marietta Times

Opponents organize to fight data center’s permit

March 7, 2026

LIMA — People opposed to a proposed data center need to focus on what the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency can do about it with a public hearing on the horizon Wednesday, an advocate said during a Saturday meeting…

Read More: The Lima News

Water districts in Ohio join call for injection well moratorium

March 6, 2026

Five water districts and several municipalities in southeastern Ohio submitted a letter to Governor Mike DeWine and state legislators on Thursday calling for a 3-year pause on new waste injection wells in Washington County….

Read More: The Allegheny Front

Southeast Ohio officials seek ban on injecting fracking wastewater underground

March 6, 2026

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Nearly 3 billion gallons of oil and gas wastewater have been injected underground in southeastern Ohio — pumped deep beneath the feet of residents who say they’ve had little say in the process…

Read More: Cleveland.com

Protest at Hilton Easton of Columbus Chavez Oilfield Patriot Award

March 6, 2026

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTAP) – A coalition of activists from Southeastern Ohio picketed outside the Easton Hilton Hotel in Columbus on Thursday as the 79th annual meeting of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association got underway inside…

Read More: WTAP

Water boards, local officials call for moratorium on injection wells ahead of trip to Columbus

March 5, 2026

Representatives from several Washington County water systems, local governments and citizen advocacy groups met Wednesday to discuss concerns about oil and gas wastewater injection wells and to sign resolutions calling on state leaders to enact a temporary moratorium…

Read More: The Marietta Times

Washington County officials, residents demand moratorium on injection wells

March 4, 2026

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) – Officials from multiple local governments and water boards have joined in a combined effort to call for a three-year moratorium on injection wells and a study of the impacts of those wells on drinking water safety…

Read More: WTAP

Local officials, water boards to call for injection well moratorium at Marietta meeting

March 3, 2026

MARIETTA, Ohio (WTAP) – Officials from numerous local governments and water boards are set to gather Wednesday evening in a combined effort to call for a moratorium on injection wells…

Read more: WTAP

Washington County Water Boards Unite in an Unprecedented Way to Call for Moratorium on Injection Wells to Protect Clean Water from Injection Wells

February 28, 2026

MARIETTA, OH — On Tuesday evening, an unprecedented coalition of five independent water boards, local townships, and the City of Marietta will hold a press conference to demand a three-year moratorium on Class I and Class II waste injection wells and a comprehensive study on the impacts to nearby geology and water resources…

Read more: The Malaysian Reserve

Letter to the Editor: It’s about safe drinking water

February 27, 2026

In response to the letter to the editor written by Dan McKenzie, research director for Accountability Project Institute, published Feb. 21: Washington County for Safe Drinking Water was founded here in Marietta by and for residents of the Mid-Ohio Valley in response to threats posed by injection wells, existing and proposed, within two miles of our aquifers along the Muskingum and Ohio rivers. …

Read more: The Marietta Times

Ohio EPA to begin ‘pursuing enforcement’ against Freepoint Eco-Systems after air quality violations

February 26, 2026

Shawn Jones took his 8-year-old son to Evans Park in Hebron for football practice. Hundreds of kids sprinted across the field, and Jones hoped to help out the coaches where he could. Then black smoke distracted him…

Read more: The Reporting Project

Opinion: Earthjustice and Buckeye Environmental Network want to end the mining industry

February 21, 2026

Injection wells have been a hot topic in Marietta lately. Fear-mongering, misinformation, and straight-up lies have been vomited by environmental activist groups such as Earthjustice and Buckeye Environmental Network (BEN)…

Read more: The Marietta Times

Lawsuit: Fracking waste company should pay for 2021 disaster

February 19, 2026

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ohio — A lawsuit filed last year seeks to make a fracking waste injection company pay for cleanup costs associated with a 2021 incident in which the company’s waste contaminated Noble County land and waterways, killing hundreds of animals…

Read more: Athens County Independent

Opinion: It’s Not Over Yet

February 14, 2026

In November 2025, I became a member of Washington County for Safe Drinking Water (WCFSDW). Before joining the group I had never been involved locally but felt motivated after educating myself on the risks to our drinking water…

Read more: The Marietta Times

Ethics complaint against Republican Ohio state Sen. Brian Chavez does not go forward

February 11, 2026

The Ohio Joint Legislative Ethics Committee has decided not to move forward with an ethics complaint filed against Republican Ohio state Sen. Brian Chavez over alleged oil and gas conflicts…

Read more: Ohio Capital Journal

Environmental groups file ethics complaint against Sen. Chavez

February 11, 2026

A coalition of Ohio environmental organizations filed an ethics complaint against Republican Sen. Brian Chavez on Jan. 20, alleging that he used his position within the Senate to influence policies and benefit financially, according to the ethics complaint…

Read more: The Post

Ethics committee could still investigate Sen. Chavez despite GOP claims

February 11, 2026

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Senate Republican leadership last week described alleged ethics violations submitted against Ohio Senator Brian Chavez as having “failed,” but the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee could still investigate the allegations…

Read more: Athens County Independent

Ethics complaint filed against Sen. Brian Chavez by environmental group

February 5, 2026

On Jan. 20, Washington County for Safe Drinking Water filed an ethics complaint against Sen. Brian Chavez (R-Marietta). The complaint alleges Chavez has ties to a company – DeepRock Disposal Solutions LLC – that stands to benefit from a bill overhauling the laws surrounding Ohio’s oil and gas industry…

Read more: The Athens Messenger

Letter to the Editor: Sen. Brian Chavez, it’s time to put people over profit

February 4, 2026

As a recent graduate from Ohio University and a new resident of the area, I wanted to write in response to Dani Kington and Eric Boll’s article on Senator Brian Chavez and the Ethics Complaint filed against him…

Read more: Athens County Independent

Washington Commission: County residents speak on six year lawsuit with ODNR

January 30, 2026

The Washington County Commission responded to concerns Thursday from county residents Bob Wilson and Bob Lane who have attended various local meetings regarding their land rights and oil and gas rights…

Read more: The Marietta Times

Letter to the Editor: Stop using road deicers with radioactive waste

January 29, 2026

For over 40 years, Ohio has allowed oil and gas waste containing toxic and radioactive elements to be spread on our roads as a deicer and dust suppressant…

Read more: The Granville Sentinel 

Ohio senator failed to disclose ties to companies, complaint alleges

January 27, 2026

Ohio environmental advocates have filed an ethics complaint against Sen. Brian Chavez (R-Marietta), alleging he failed to disclose financial ties to at least five oil and gas companies in 2023 and 2024…

Read more: WOSU

Ethics Complaint Filed Against Ohio State Sen. Brian Chavez

January 27, 2026

A group of nonprofit organizations has filed an ethics complaint against an Ohio state senator, claiming he failed to disclose ownership in five oil well companies…

Read more: The Intelligencer, Yahoo News

Republican Ohio state senator faces ethics complaint over alleged oil and gas conflicts

January 26, 2026

A group called Washington County for Safe Drinking recently filed an ethics complaint with the Ohio Joint Legislative Ethics Committee against Republican Ohio state Sen. Brian Chavez over alleged oil and gas conflicts…

Read more: Ohio Capital Journal, Crain’s Cleveland Business

Ohio state senator failed to disclose ties to his natural gas companies, complaint says

January 23, 2026

A state senator has failed to disclose all his natural gas business interests as his company has sought and won state contracts in the sector, according to a complaint filed with state ethics officials Tuesday…

Read more: Signal Ohio

Ohio senator faces ethics complaint tied to oil and gas legislation

January 23, 2026

COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio environmental group is accusing a Republican state senator of using his office to benefit oil and gas businesses tied to his family…

Read more: Cleveland.com

Ohio Senator Brian Chavez faces ethics complaint over industry ties

January 22, 2026

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A complaint submitted to the Ohio Joint Legislative Ethics Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 20, alleges that Sen. Brian Chavez used his position to change oil and gas industry regulations for personal gain…

Read more: Athens County Independent

Ohio ethics complaint calls for review of senator’s energy ties

January 22, 2026

A statewide coalition is urging Ohio lawmakers to investigate allegations that a sitting state senator used his position to benefit private business interests tied to oil and gas waste disposal, raising concerns about ethics compliance and drinking-water safety…

Read more: Public News Service 

Washington County for Safe Drinking Water files complaint against Sen. Chavez

January 22, 2026

Washington County for Safe Drinking Water announced the filing of an ethics complaint against state Sen. Brian Chavez on Tuesday…

Read more: The Marietta Times

Washington County group files ethics complaint against Ohio Senator Brian Chavez

January 21, 2026

MARIETTA, Ohio (WTAP) – A group of Washington County residents concerned with drinking water safety have filed an ethics complaint against Ohio State Senator Brian Chavez (R – Dist. 30)…

Read more: WTAP

In southeast Ohio, state and local officials fight over the future of injection wells

January 21, 2026

Last July, a short notice appeared in the back of the Marietta Times. “DeepRock Disposal Solutions, LLC… is applying to permit a well for the injection of brine water produced in association with oil and natural gas,” the clip read…

Read more: The Ohio Newsroom, The Allegheny Front

Why some Washington County residents are worried about the future of their drinking water

January 20, 2026

When the Ohio Department of Natural Resources issued permits to construct two injection wells, to store waste from oil and gas drilling, within two miles of the city of Marietta’s aquifers, residents in the area grew concerned…

Read more: The Ohio Newsroom, The Allegheny Front 

Fracking produces a lot of wastewater. Millions of gallons of it are stored under eastern Ohio

January 20, 2026

Hydraulic fracturing, particularly on public lands, has spurred protests across Ohio. But a lesser known part of the process — where companies discard the wastewater from drilling — is causing an uproar in a small town in southeast Ohio…

Read more: The Ohio Newsroom, The Allegheny Front

What a fracking-waste dispute says about Ohio’s energy double standard

January 13, 2026

In the far reaches of Appalachian Ohio, DeepRock Disposal Solutions and other companies pump salty, hazardous waste from oil and gas fracking thousands of feet underground at high pressure…

Read more: Canary Media 

Seismic shift: Southeast Ohio sees earthquake numbers rise in 2025

January 3, 2026

The number of earthquakes in Southeast Ohio have greatly shot upward in the past year, according to a database kept by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources…

Read more: The Marietta Times

Letter to the Editor: Who’s misinformation?

January 3, 2026

Let me start this letter with a review of an Oil and Gas Association person who gave a talk at the commissioner’s meeting a few weeks ago…

Read more: The Marietta Times

Injection wells discussed at Washington commission

January 1, 2026

MARIETTA – The continuing issue of injection wells was discussed Wednesday during the final meeting of the year by the Washington County Commission…

Read more: News and Sentinel 

You Won’t Believe What We Found Hidden In This Small Ohio Town

October 22, 2024

So this is what’s called a Pandora’s box, literally.  Inside that box are boots from a former worker at a fracking waste recycling facility, a company called Austin Master Services. The company accused of storing illegal amounts of radioactive and fracking waste in Martins Ferry…

Watch Here: More Perfect Union