(Photo by Amber Phipps) Santa and Mrs. Claus sit in the front row of the Washington County Commissioner’s conference room for the regular meeting on Thursday.

Santa and Mrs.Claus took a break from their holiday duties to attend the Washington County Commission regular meeting Thursday.

“We wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas,” he said.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Dee Arnold with Washington County for Clean Water provided a brief overview about what was discussed at the injection well public meeting that took place Tuesday night.

She said it “made her night” to see Commissioners Eddie Place and Greg Nohe in attendance at the meeting since Place had previously stated he wouldn’t be attending and Nohe wasn’t sure if he would.

Arnold asked if they had learned anything new at the meeting and what their impressions of the speakers were.

“I was surprised to see so many people and I talked to a lot of people and listened very carefully,” said Place.

He said like the majority of the county, he also is concerned about safe water and the commissioners have made it clear it is a priority in their office.

Nohe said he was also impressed at the amount of people who attended the meeting and the issue is very important.

“I certainly appreciate the information that I learned and I’m still learning the whole process,” he said. “Our ultimate goal is we want to make sure that it’s safe and the chances of anything happening we get it to 0%.”

Commissioner Charlie Schilling said he appreciated Place and Nohe attending the meeting and bringing back information they learned from the speakers and the public.

Marietta resident George Banziger said he attended the Marietta Chamber of Commerce meeting Dec. 12 and said he had the opportunity to ask State Senator Brian Chavez questions about the economic benefit of injection wells.

Banziger said he didn’t feel Chavez had answered his questions so he looked into it himself and presented the findings during the public comment portion of the commission meeting.

“Senator Chavez says these injection wells bring in jobs, well, what are the jobs? A few brine haulers?” said Banziger.

Banziger said they’ve seen evidence of brine migration as a result of the injection wells. He said it would be “unwise to base any kind of economic development on injection wells.”

Banziger asked the commissioners if they would join Marietta City Council and present the three-year moratorium to halt injection well production to the governor’s desk.

“Water quality is a top priority in this office, and it shows with the amount of research that we have done out of this office and with the clean water plan for Washington County,” said Schilling.

Ohio Oil and Gas Association Director of External Affairs Mike Chadsey provided a report on the state’s oil and gas government data. The data included information on permits, production numbers, taxes and geographical outlooks.

“We all live here, too. We drink the same water, breathe the same air and I respect your concerns, they’re rational and we share them too,” said Chadsey. “That’s why we follow rules and regulations and that’s why we advocated for the change in injection well rules and advocated for the change in production rules because we share that same risk, that same burden, that same responsibility.”

Chadsey responded to statements made by Arnold and Banziger. He said the amount of barrels of brine injection into the ground has gone down within the past six years.

“The industry is looking for continued solutions for water management in general, whether it’s freshwater brine or fracking fluid,” said Chadsey.

Chadsey said brine is old sea water that was covered millions of years ago and has surfaced with the oil during production. He said the injection well industry is essentially returning that brine from where it came from with the injection wells.

Arnold said in the ’70s, injection wells were only supposed to be a temporary solution.

Chadsey said the industry is trying to find ways to dispose of that material aside from using injection wells. He offered to stick around after the meeting to answer any questions the public may have had.

Banziger asked the commissioners again if they would ask the governor to impose a three-year moratorium. Schilling said he will not.

Nohe thanked Chadsey for attending and providing insight about the issue and responding to the public’s concerns.

“I do understand that everybody has concerns,” said Place. “The best way to address this is with facts and we went to that meeting and we heard a lot of concerns but they didn’t have answers either.”

Schilling said they take the facts they have and evaluate it to the best of their ability.

“We need to be able to have thoughtful conversations,” said Schilling. “We have to be fact-based when it comes to those decisions that are made … I stand behind my comment to Mr. Banziger.”