Preservation Testimony

Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on draft bill – LSC 126 1788-1DRAFT.

Ohio PIRG opposes opening up Ohio’s public lands to oil and gas drilling for two prominent reasons:

1) Oil and gas drilling in our remaining public lands is not a solution to Ohio’s energy needs. Ohio needs a comprehensive energy plan that addresses our need to diversify our energy supply. For example, energy efficiency is the quickest, cheapest way to reduce our energy use, relieve the strain on our grid and save consumers money. States across the country are improving efficiency standards, but Ohio lags behind. Ohio’s manufacturing base and economy could be revitalized by investing in the production of renewable energy components to supply other state’s wind turbines and solar panels (Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Colorado and California have all made a commitment to using renewable energy), but Ohio lags behind. Ohio could even become one of the states making a commitment to produce more energy from clean renewable sources like the wind farm already in place in Bowling Green, Ohio.

The bottom-line, Ohio should become a leader on forward thinking energy policy by investing in efficiency and clean renewable energy that would reduce the strain on our electric grid, revitalize our manufacturing base and economy and produce jobs, and reduce our reliance on burning fossil fuels and extracting finite natural resources.

2) Less than 3% of land in Ohio is set aside for Ohioans as public land. These pristine natural areas, in principle, should not be sold to, leased to, or given away, to any entity.

Upon reviewing LSC 126 1788-1DRAFT, we appreciate that several things were taken out of SB193 such as the industry leasing board and timbering. However, Ohio PIRG stands strongly opposed to opening up our remaining public lands to oil and gas drilling as it is not a solution to Ohio’s energy needs, will provide no proven public benefit and threatens natural public lands that are to be held in trust for the people of Ohio.

Finally, an Executive Order issued by Gov. Taft in 2003 and a federal moratorium issued by Congress prevents drilling in Lake Erie. Therefore, please provide explanation as to why language that would pave the way for opening up Lake Erie to drilling has been included in this draft.

Bi-partisan support exists at the local, state and federal level for protecting Lake Erie and all of the Great Lakes from drilling. Ohio PIRG is working in coalition with local, state and federal officials, organizations, citizens and elected officials, including U.S. Senators DeWine and Voinovich, to secure billions of dollars in federal funding to restore Lake Erie and all of the Great Lakes. By opening up Lake Erie for drilling, and/or by proposing any weakening of protections for the lake, we stand to lose out on an historic opportunity to obtain funding for Lake Erie restoration projects. We must demonstrate that we are as concerned about the health and preservation of Lake Erie as other states in the region are for the other Great Lakes. If we do not, we make ourselves vulnerable to losing funding that our great lake and our economy desperately needs to combat sewage pollution by upgrading sewage infrastructure, investing in solutions for dealing with invasive species, repairing wetlands, cleaning up toxic waste sites and reversing the trend of the dead zone which captures much of the Central Basin of the lake each summer.

For these reasons, we strongly oppose any drilling in, around or under Lake Erie, as well as in any waters that are in the Lake Erie basin.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We appreciate being included in this review process and look forward to further information and participation.