Gas drilling surge in Ohio spurs fear, brings jobs
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- After a childhood spent moving around, Patti Gorcheff vowed that she would never uproot her daughter. But she says wastewater disposal in her area from an oil and gas drilling frenzy that has hit Ohio and other states has forced her to change her mind.
She and her husband are selling the family home and fleeing with their 15-year-old before the drinking water becomes contaminated, said Gorcheff, 56, of rural North Lima in northeastern Ohio. She said she has heard the accounts from neighboring Pennsylvania of contaminant-laced water being discharged into rivers -- and of fears there that, despite officials' assurances, drinking water might be harmed.
"I've never been so afraid," she said. "They're taking advantage of us because we're one of the poorest areas in the country. We have to move out of this area, we just have to.
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What he views as an opportunity and Gorcheff and other residents view with skepticism are the 5 billion barrels of recoverable oil underneath them, making Ohio the latest battleground between companies eager to profit off of the oil and landowners who want a more measured look at the potential impact.
http://www.freep.com/article/20111212/NEWS07/112120332/Gas-drilling-surge-in-Ohio-spurs-fear-brings-jobs
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