Injection Well Victories!
BEN has been working on Injection Wells for over 15 years!
In the spring of 2023, Eric Vendel, Chief of ODNR’s Division of Oil and Gas, ordered the three K&H injection wells in Torch as well the Frost Well on St. Rt. 144 to suspend operations. The wells had been leaking and migrating toxic radioactive oil and gas waste for years!
The language in the order is exactly what we said the danger these wells would present to the community: “The Chief finds that the operation of the K&H Injection Wells has and is impacting nearby production wells and that such impacts endanger and are likely to endanger public health, safety, or the environment. If the K&H Injection Wells continue to operate, additional impacts may occur in the future and are likely to contaminate the land, surface waters, or subsurface waters. Thus, the continued operation of the K&H Injection Wells presents an imminent danger to the health and safety of the public and is likely to result in immediate substantial damage to the natural resources of the state.
”In July of 2024, the new well owners applied for the wells to be plugged.
Congratulations to the grassroots efforts by ACFAN, Athens County’s Future Action Network (formerly Athens County Fracking Action Network)!
Congratulations on the incredible efforts of folks from Torch, who live near the K&H wells and founded Torch Can Do! (Torch Clean Air Now, Defend Ohio).
Congratulations to the Buckeye Environmental Network (BEN), Athens County Commissioners, Athens City Council, and hundreds of people who spoke out, donated for legal expenses, attended rallies, protests, and the tribunal session…and never backed down.
We believe that environmental justice is not practiced in Ohio by our legislature or state administration.
We will continue our efforts to change state laws to make the safety of our communities a priority and to force our state government to recognize its responsibility to address our public health, air, water, and climate crises.
What has BEN done?
In 2025 and 2026 we supported Washington County residents in fighting back against injection wells that threaten their aquifers, leading to the formation of grassroots group Washington County for Safe Drinking Water. We had unprecedented success in bringing together hundred of people from the entire political spectrum on the issue of injection wells in an extremely conservative area and turned out hundreds of local people to town hall meetings and educational forums. The City of Marietta, led by Republican City Council President Susan Vessels, passed a moratorium on injection wells and asked Governor DeWine to enforce it. In early 2026 the group filed an ethics complaint against Senator Brian Chavez, who represents the area at the Ohio Statehouse, and chairs the Senate Energy Committee, for his failure to fully disclose his industry ties.
We need your continued involvement to win!! We absolutely cannot do this without the entire community. The Washington County for Safe Drinking Water group is looking to grow and expand their efforts! If you would like to get involved in protecting clean water and healthy communities in Washington County, Ohio, please CLICK the link in the post above to fill out an interest form. We are looking for people who want to volunteer, attend council meetings, help to spread the word and educate, get petition signatures, etc.
300+ residents in Washington County, Ohio gather to learn about risks with injection wells.. the momentum continues!
What’s happening in Marietta shows the power of people standing shoulder to shoulder around something that matters.
Folks with different backgrounds, politics, and jobs are all standing up for clean water.
Together, they’re proving that when a community decides enough is enough, real change starts to happen.
What’s happening in Marietta shows what’s possible when people come together to protect the places they love.
This work takes all of us, from the research and organizing to the long nights and steady push for change.
We filed a lawsuit against the ODNR, represented by EarthJustice, for permitting a DeepRock Disposal Class II injection well in Washington County using outdated rules.
Marietta City Leaders Deliver Historic Injection Well Moratorium to Governor’s Office
Ethics Complaint Against Senator Brian Chavez
The letter, spearheaded by Washington County for Safe Drinking Water and signed by leading statewide groups, including Buckeye Environmental Network, Save Ohio Parks and FaCT Ohio, argues that the Senator’s alleged conflicts of interest and voting record—specifically within the Senate Energy Committee—suggest a pattern where personal financial gain was prioritized over the public good. The letter of support states in pertinent part “The complaint alleges Chavez’s conflicts of interest regarding undisclosed business entities and fast-tracking legislation that could benefit these interests. When public officials with financial ties to an industry shape laws that directly benefit that industry, it undermines public trust across the entire state.”
