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Gas-well fears reach new neighborhood
(by Joan Demirjian - November 05, 2008)
Gas-well fears reach new neighborhood
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
Concerns about safety and well-water contamination have prompted residents near a proposed gas and oil well in Bainbridge to voice them to state and local officials.
They have notified Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Sean D. Logan of their formal objection to the well proposed by Bass Energy on the Golf Dome property at 8189 E. Washington St. The Woods of Wembley subdivision is adjacent to the 27-acre property owned by 422 Co. Ltd.
Resident Scott Matasar wrote on behalf of the residents, "We believe that permitting Bass to commence drilling operations in this location presents an imminent danger to public health." The residents are concerned that their water wells could be contaminated, he said.
Mr. Matasar referred to the incident off English Drive in Bainbridge, where methane gas from a gas well seeped into the aquifer and then into surrounding water wells. A house on English Drive exploded last December, and some residents' water wells are still not being used because of high levels of methane gas.
He said there are wetlands in the Woods of Wembley development that could be damaged, along with the wildlife, from the drilling.
The drilling location is adjacent to a residential-care facility and the Wembley Club, a tennis, swim and recreation facility, he said.
"There are an exceptional number of people who are placed at risk of explosion, contamination of the aquifer and other threats to our physical and environmental safety by the proposed drilling activity," Mr. Matasar said.
Homeowners are contacting local representatives, according to resident Julie King. When the English Drive situation is considered, "it's frightening," she said. "No one can say it can't happen here."
Mary Ellen Knific said there is no local control over gas-well drilling. "Why should the state have that control?" she asked.
The drilling company cannot guarantee that the gas well will not contaminate the surrounding water wells, Mrs. Knific said. Not having water is a scary thought, she said.
Residents in the Trees, a condominium complex on Wren Road to the east of the Golf Dome, also have registered their concerns.
Resident Susan Waldorf said, "There are lots of issues here." They are concerned that their well water will be affected as it was in the area of a gas well drilled off English Drive, she said.
Resident Richard Seif said the well is right behind his house, and the concern is water contamination. If gas leaks into the aquifer, it will contaminate the entire water supply, he said. Safety and noise are also concerns, he said.
Bainbridge Zoning Inspector Michael Joyce said he inspected the site with Shane Wrench, assistant zoning inspector. The drilling is to start in January or February.
He said there is a steep incline at the site, and he has asked for straw bales and tubing material to absorb any spills. He said ODNR inspector Thomas Hill has said those requirements will be written into the permit.
When drilling starts, Mr. Joyce or Mr. Wrench will be on the site each day to watch what is being done, he said. "If we see anything wrong, we will call ODNR," Mr. Joyce said.
Bass Energy has agreed to pre-test water wells up to 1,000 feet from the proposed well site. That would include five or six at Woods of Wembley and the two wells serving the condominiums on Wren Road.
Scott Kell, deputy director of the ODNR Division of Mineral Resources Management, said he has heard some of the concerns regarding ground water and public safety. "Those will be our concerns as well," he said.
He will look at the permit and how it addresses those concerns, Mr. Kell said. The permit will not be issued until the matters are addressed, he said.
New requirements and practices during drilling that were established after the English Drive well incident will be carried out, Mr. Kell said. During operations, there will be spill containment around the tanks, and brine has to be removed and disposed of in injection wells to protect the aquifers.
Bainbridge Trustee Matthew Lynch said he has talked with several of the residents. "I don't blame them for their concerns," he said.
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