FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2026
ODNR FOUND GROUNDS TO SUSPEND INJECTION WELL BUT DID NOT ISSUE ORDER, CITING OPERATOR’S WISHES
Records raise questions about enforcement at four voluntarily shut-down Washington County wells
WASHINGTON COUNTY, OHIO — Newly obtained documents secured by Buckeye Environmental Network through public records requests from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), attached to this release, show that the agency found grounds to immediately suspend DeepRock Disposal Solutions’ American Growers No. 1 injection well but did not issue a formal order, citing its understanding that the operator did not want one.
ODNR found evidence that oil and gas waste had migrated beyond the well’s permitted injection zone, grounds for immediate suspension under Ohio Administrative Code 1501:9-3-07(N)(1)(g).
In a letter addressed to DeepRock Disposal Solutions attorney, Laura M Goins, ODNR attorney Halli Brownfield Watson wrote on behalf of the agency’s Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management:
“It was the Division’s understanding that Deeprock did not want any such order issued.”
The agency’s explanation raises questions about why an operator’s wishes would factor into the regulatory agency’s decision to withhold a formal suspension order when it had already found grounds for immediate enforcement.
As of August 13,2026, DeepRock had also failed to submit a plan to correct the conditions that led ODNR to conclude the well should be suspended.
American Growers was one of four Washington County injection wells whose operators agreed to cease operations voluntarily, without an official order, earlier this year. The shutdowns followed 16 months of organizing by local residents and Buckeye Environmental Network. Residents raised concerns about suspected leaks and pressed state officials to investigate the wells and protect nearby communities.
“A voluntary shutdown is not the same as formal enforcement. Stopping operations does not resolve violations or guarantee that operators will correct the problems. When ODNR finds grounds for immediate suspension, why should an operator’s wishes factor into whether the agency issues an order? The records also raise questions about how ODNR handled the other three wells. This is egregious behavior on the part of an enforcement agency,” said Roxanne Groff of Buckeye Environmental Network.
DeepRock has ties to Ohio State Senator Brian Chavez, who previously served as the company’s CEO and was identified as an owner in ODNR records. Signal Ohio has reported on Chavez’s connections to DeepRock.
The findings add to concerns documented in Rising Incidents, Lax Oversight, a recent bombshell report by Buckeye Environmental Network and FracTracker Alliance examining over 2,500 oil and gas incidents from 2015 to 2025 and gaps in ODNR’s response.
With ODNR slated to begin its five-year review of rules pertaining to oil and gas waste disposal on January 13, 2027, the public deserves answers about how the agency enforces its rules and whether voluntary shutdowns allow companies to avoid formal enforcement.
Buckeye Environmental Network and Fractracker Alliance will host a webinar on November 17 at 6PM to discuss these findings and how Ohioans can push for stronger enforcement as ODNR reviews its rules and get involved in the upcoming rule review process.
Register for the webinar here.
Media Contact: Vanlyn Ramsay | comms@benohio.org | 614-233-1584 |
Attachments: ODNR correspondence concerning DeepRock’s American Growers No. 1 injection well
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