American Oil and Gas Reporter - February 2016 - 89

ConventionSection: Ohio Oil & Gas Association
so we will have to give them a little time
to see how aggressive regulators will be."
Local Ordinances
Many Ohio communities are asking
the state to allow local regulatory oversight.
More than 100 officials signed a letter to
Kasich in mid-2015 that alleged hydraulic
fracturing activities were responsible for
contaminating water resources, putting
residents' health at risk and turning rural
landscapes into industrial zones. The
letter also blames increases in domestic
violence, drug use and civil disturbances
on fracturing, and asks for local authority
to reject fracturing as well as well pads,
compressor stations and all oil and gas
infrastructure.
Bennett says local ordinances are an
ongoing concern for oil and gas operators,
but adds there are some glimmers of
hope. He points to Youngstown, Oh.,
which opted against including an antidrilling initiative on its March ballot.
"This would have been the sixth or
seventh attempt to ban oil- and gas-related
activities," Bennett recalls. "The initiative
continually fails to find support. It is unfortunate the backers waste a lot of time
for the city and county governments to
try to place these things on the ballot,
when they should simply realize the
people have spoken and they do not support this type of ban or heavy-handed
tactics.
In November, Youngstown voters rejected proposals that called for a community bill of rights and a ban on fracturing. According to ballot language, the
measure would have prohibited unconventional gas extraction using fracturing,
infrastructure supporting natural gas production, and storing or transporting gas
drilling waste products in the city.
Some courts are starting to follow
voters' lead by striking down those antifracturing proposals, Bennett points out.
"You can look at it as every time they
put initiative on a ballot, they cost money,"
he says. "That is money coming out of
the budgets of counties and cities. If you
are going to waste taxpayer dollars, you
should be held accountable. This issue
has been decided by the courts, but they
keep trying to circumvent the Ohio
Supreme Court."
Several oil and gas companies have
successfully sued town boards over those
initiatives, Bennett reports, adding they
are classic takings cases that violate the
state and federal constitutions. "These

initiatives should not be on the ballot,
and I am very happy that people not only
at the local level but the state level are
beginning to recognize what they are doing," he says.
Hill points out OOGA and its allies
have defeated most of those local initiatives, and the ones that were successful
were in areas unlikely to see much oil
and gas development in the near future.
He credits Energy in Depth and the Ohio
Oil & Gas Energy Education Program as
being the crucial assets that work with
the association in interacting in Ohio
communities every day, and deliver the
message that the state's resources are
being developed responsibly.
That message extends to the Ohio
Statehouse, Hill says.
"We have spent a lot of time educating
legislators and keeping them abreast of
what is really going on in the industry,"
he says. "Overwhelmingly, I believe those
legislators get that message."
That message also has an economic
component, Hill adds, noting that the
Marcellus and Utica plays have seen
crews for as many as 59 rigs working
and living in counties across eastern and

southeastern Ohio that have been economically depressed for decades.
"The other thing those legislators are
seeing is when we were running 59 rigs,
there was this wonderful influx of activity
in eastern and southeastern Ohio that
heretofore had been economically depressed for decades," Hill says.
"Legislators from those districts see
their constituents starting to realize opportunities, whether through leasing land
or seeing bakeries or restaurants they
own get busier," he describes. "The oil
and gas industry has had a positive ripple
effect through their communities, and
they were glad to see it. When I see legislators now, the overwhelming question
they ask is, when is industry going to
turn around? They have seen how this
activity can positively affect their communities."
Winter Meeting
Bennett says the winter meeting will
look at commodity prices and what the
future holds for Ohio and the nation's oil
and gas community. The agenda includes
a presentation on the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Short-Term En-

OOGA Winter Meeting - Columbus, Oh.
Wednesday, March 16
10 a.m.-Noon Government Affairs/PAC
Committee Meeting, Hilton Columbus
at Easton, Regent 3
10 a.m.-Noon Midstream Meeting, Easton E
11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Registration Open, Coat
Check Room
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Past President's Council Luncheon, New Albany Boardroom
Noon-4 p.m. Exhibitor Setup, Easton Hallways and Rooms
1:30-2 p.m. Board of Trustees/Committee
Chair Photograph, Regent 1
2-4 p.m. Board of Trustees Meeting, Regent 2
5-7 p.m. Corporate Member Reception, Regent 2 and 3
By Invitation Only

Thursday, March 17
7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Registration Open, Coat
Check Room
7:30-9 a.m. Membership Breakfast, Regent
1, 2 and 3
8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Trade Show Open, Hallway and Rooms
9-11:30 a.m. Business Session No. 1, Easton A and B

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Society of Petroleum
Engineers Scholarship Luncheon, Regent
1, 2 and 3
Separate Registration Required
1-4:30 p.m. Business Session No. 2, Easton
A and B
4:30-5:30 p.m. Ohio Oil & Gas Producers
Fund PAC Reception, Regent 3
Minimum Suggested Contribution $100 a
person
4:30-5:30 p.m. Trade Show Reception,
Hallways and Rooms
5:30-7:30 p.m. President's Reception, Easton
Ballroom

Friday, March 18
7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Registration Desk
Open, Coat Check Room
7:30-9 a.m. Membership Breakfast, Regent
1, 2 and 3
8 a.m.-Noon Trade Show Open, Hallway
and Rooms
9-11:45 a.m. Business Session No. 3, Easton
Ballroom
Noon-2 p.m. Membership Luncheon, Easton
Ballroom
2-4 p.m. Exhibitor Tear Down, Hallway
and Rooms
FEBRUARY 2016 89

American Oil and Gas Reporter - February 2016

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