State officials charged with protecting Ohio’s environment should take steps to ensure that the water left over from hydraulic fracturing doesn’t pollute streams, lakes or groundwater.

Because fracking of shale for oil and gas is a relatively new and fast-growing industry in Ohio, that means building from scratch a system to keep track of the companies that recycled fracking waste. This includes how many are operating, how much waste they handle and what they do with it.

At the same time, more research is needed so that policymakers know more about the dangers posed by the wastewater and chemicals in it.

Gov. John Kasich’s proposed budget includes a good start: a provision banning disposal of treated waste from oil and gas wells into lakes, streams or groundwater….

ODNR supports the water-dumping ban in Kasich’s budget, and also is using a $49,000 state grant … to study and identify the best-available technologies and practices for recycling of fracking waste.

That might be only a modest start to the information Ohio needs to make sure the fracking boom remains a turbo-charged boost to the state’s economy, without fouling its waters. Helping identify a safe and effective method for recycling fracking wastewater would be a valuable accomplishment.

The Columbus Dispatch

 

Curbing synthetic drug use hinges on real education

Drug distributors are making money off area residents through the sale of so-called bath salts and a family of products called K2, which contain an array of chemicals.

If you think the bath salts problem in the area was under control, think again. If you think the problem was solved because a highly visible store was shut down or state law was changed to shutdown legal sales, think again.

Purveyors of these evil substances stay one step ahead of the law by tweaking the bath salts’ formulas. Sales remain legal, technically speaking.

Law enforcement officials say they need help in their push against K2 (often described as synthetic marijuana) and bath salts (which pack a punch like cocaine and methamphetamines). Manufacturers stay legal by altering their formulas just enough to remain legal….

This must stop now.

Sure, laws must be changed so those investigating incidents aren’t thwarted because the formula of an offending substance has been altered slightly.

But even more important to the situation is the personal responsibility each and every one of us must take for our own actions. Don’t rationalize using bath salts or K2 by saying they aren’t illegal.

Bottom line, they are dangerous. Don’t use them. Removing the profit motive is vital because making a buck is all sellers are interested in doing.

Until potential buyers wise up and stop spending their money, because someone somewhere will always be glad to sell their K2 or bath salts.

The Marietta Times