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Although many voters in the Mid-Ohio Valley have cast their ballots through early voting, many more will express their preferences on Nov. 3. Among the most important issues for the voters in this region are injection wells and the danger they pose to our drinking-water aquifers. Several candidates have expressed their views on this topic, others have not.
In the gubernatorial race, Dr. Amy Acton made her position clear at a press conference in Marietta on Sept. 17. She endorsed the three-year moratorium on fracking wastewater (brine) injection activity, which specifies a shutdown of injection wells in Washington County. She has clarified that she is not against the oil and gas industry in Ohio, but describes the need for this industry to seek safe and responsible ways to dispose of its waste so that certain communities do not bear an unfair burden and risk of fracking waste contamination. Her opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy, has not made his position clear on this matter but has shown no interest in endorsing the moratorium.
The race for representation of the 94th Ohio House District pits Wenda Sheard against incumbent Kevin Ritter. Ms. Sheard has made her position on injection wells very evident in endorsing the moratorium. Her campaign literature features "safe drinking water" prominently in information that she and her supporters distribute. Mr. Ritter does not endorse the moratorium and makes the spurious claim that a moratorium is not needed because there is a pause on new permits. The point of the moratorium is not to place a pause on new permits for injection wells but to shut down injection well activity throughout the county for three years. Kevin Ritter has also engaged in misrepresentations of those who support the moratorium in social media by posting audio clips and video images (without permission). These postings give the false impression that members of the Washington County for Safe Drinking Water group are somehow supportive of Mr. Ritter's actions.
There are two races for Washington County commissioner: a full-term position involving Stephanie Lang and Brian Whalin and an unexpired term involving Justin Harris, Greg Nohe, and John Rauch. Both Ms. Lang and Dr. Whalin, who has served on a local water board, have signed the petition calling for the moratorium on injection activity. Mr. Rauch, who has served on a local water board, has signed the petition, also. Mr. Nohe, the incumbent in this position, has signed the petition for a moratorium, but his campaign literature states "...calling for a moratorium on new injection wells..." At a recent meeting of the Washington County Commissioners, Mr. Nohe was asked to clarify his position and whether he supports a three-year shutdown of injection activity, as the petition states. His response was "...whatever it says in the petition..." This is confusing to voters who may question if Mr. Nohe knew what he was signing, or if he was deliberately trying to limit the scope of the moratorium. This distinction is important: a pause on new permits means that injecting brine waste into Washington County grounds through existing wells would continue. In July 2026 the Ohio Department of Natural Resources announced a voluntary shut down of four injection wells in the county (without mentioning a resumption date); we (Washington County for Safe Drinking Water) have asked ODNR if there will be compensatory increase in injection well activity at the remaining injection wells in the county and have yet to receive a response to that query. A pause on new permits does nothing to stop the current flood of migrating toxic, radioactive brine waste in Washington County.
Mr. Harris has stated that he would support a moratorium on the importation of brine waste from other states (mainly WV and PA) into Washington County, but he has not signed a petition calling for a moratorium. While many in Washington County are justifiably outraged by the interstate importation of brine waste, Mr. Harris' position is virtually impossible to act upon. The interstate commerce clause in our U.S. Constitution prohibits any state from issuing bans on commerce between and among states. Currently, the State of Ohio charges $.05/barrel for injected brine waste from Ohio and $.20/barrel from other states. The county commissioners have no authority to ban brine waste from other states nor do they have authority to change these fees. The latter authority rests with the state legislature. One might argue that these rates are extremely low considering the risks and costs to Ohioans, especially those in Washington County, for dealing with brine waste and its immediate and potential consequences. We should ask Ms. Sheard and Mr. Ritter, who are candidates for the state legislature, if they would support raising these rates.
Recently, the Buckeye Environmental Network obtained through a public records request a letter from attorneys at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to the attorney for Deeprock Disposal Solutions LLC. This letter points out that the contents of an injection well owned by Deeprock has migrated beyond its injection zone to impact production wells in Washington County. Surprisingly, the letter states that Deeprock did not want a suspension order issued, so ODNR did not order a suspension of operations despite clear evidence of damage to production wells by migrating brine waste. The citizens of Ohio and the residents of Washington County deserve county commissioners who will demand the suspension of injection wells when evidence indicates a danger to health and safety. They also deserve state representatives who will press agency directors and division chiefs to enforce their own regulations, and a governor who will appoint agency directors and division chiefs who serve the interests of residents rather than the interests of injection well companies.
Voters in the West Virginia area of the Mid-Ohio Valley are not dealing with the issue of injection wells as they consider candidates on their ballots. But they do have clear choices of candidates when it comes to clean energy, energy efficiency, energy affordability, clean water, and public health and safety. Candidates who support the latter issues are: Rachel Fetty Anderson for the U.S. Senate seat, Ace Parsi for the second congressional district, Caci Petrehn for the WV Senate District 3, Chris Jones for the WV House District 10, Daniel Miller for the WV House District 11, Dennis Rempel for the WV House District 12, Marley Umensetter for the WV House District 13.
George Banziger, Ph.D., was a faculty member at Marietta College and an academic dean at three other colleges. He is a member of the Green Sanctuary Committee of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Marietta, a member of Washington County for Safe Drinking Water, and a contributor to Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action team.