A Veto resident talked to the Washington County Board of Commissioners about an upcoming public meeting regarding disposal wells during its Thursday meeting.

The meeting is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. March 24 at the McDonough Auditorium at Marietta College. The public will be able to comment on applications for proposed disposal wells.

Bob Lane said disposal wells are a major concern. He and Bob Wilson have about 40 wells in the Constitution area that are being flooded by these disposal wells.

American Geosciences notes disposal wells are used to dispose of wastewater from the oil and gas industry, including produced waters extracted with the oil and gas and flowback waters that return to the surface after hydraulic fracturing.

Lane said he and Wilson together are losing about $1,000 a day on these wells.

The board of commission approved a request from Rick Dostal, the chief building inspector with the Southeast Ohio Building Department, for $101,241 to replace three county vehicles. The first car was delivered on Wednesday and all three are 2022 Toyota Rav4 XLE all-wheel drives with a base price of $33,467.

Commissioner Jamie Booth said they needed replaced as the department was putting 40,000 to 50,000 miles on the vehicles each year.

The actions of previous commissioners regarding the sewering of Devola was briefly discussed as the commission signed a ‘consent order for civil penalty’.

“This is a $10,000 fine levied by the EPA against the continuing board of county commissioners,” said Commissioner Kevin Ritter. “While none of the three sitting in front of you refused to follow the (Director’s Findings and Orders), this is the price we pay for the previous board refusing to follow the DFO, so we’re making good to the EPA.”

The sewer project started in 2009 and was court ordered in 2012 before being halted in 2013. Judge Linton Lewis ordered Devola to be sewered and threatened the county with up to $12 million in fines for not complying.