Taft
ponders interim ban on drilling Moratorium
on lake wells expires soon Tom Henry
Toledo Blade
01/06/2003
An environmental group lobbying for a permanent ban on drilling
beneath the Ohio side of Lake Erie believes it has enlisted
an important ally: Gov. Bob Taft.
The Ohio Public Interest Research Group told The Blade its
hopes for such a ban from the Ohio General Assembly have
been buoyed by recent discussions with Mr. Taft. The environmental
group says Mr. Taft may be contemplating interim action
against drilling while the issue is debated in the legislature.
Joe Andrews, Mr. Taft’s spokesman, confirmed the governor
is "looking at what the possibilities are" other than an
executive order, which is used sparingly. Mr. Andrews declined
to say what other options are under consideration or when
a decision is likely.
"Give it a month or so," he said.
Governor Taft’s position was initially unclear when he took
office in 1998.
In March, 2001, one of Mr. Taft’s cabinet members, Ohio
Department of Natural Resources Director Sam Speck, revealed
during an interview that his department might be willing
to look at drilling proposals because of rising energy costs.
Former governor and U.S. Sen. George Voinovich (R., Ohio),
who has opposed drilling beneath the lake for years, asked
Mr. Taft to step in.
Mr. Taft told The Blade in April, 2001, that Ohio "has other
sources of natural gas to explore."
He has subsequently been more outspoken on the issue.
"The governor came out some time ago opposed to drilling,"
Mr. Andrews said. He said Mr. Taft’s views have been enhanced
by his role as chairman of the Great Lakes Council of Governors,
a post to which Mr. Taft was named in June, 2001.
"We’ve been looking at what further action we could take.
The governor feels very strongly about it," Mr. Andrews
said.
Bryan Clark, Ohio PIRG legislative advocate, said his group
wants Ohio to follow Michigan by enacting its own ban.
State Rep. Chris Redfern (D., Catawba Island) has sponsored
such legislation in the past.
Michigan allows a limited amount of oil and natural gas
to be extracted beneath Lake Michigan and Lake Huron from
seven wells drilled years ago at an angle from onshore points.
Its legislature nearly a year ago banned new drilling.
In the fall of 2001, Congress enacted a two-year moratorium.
It expires Sept. 30.
"We have to take steps to make sure there is a legally enforceable
ban on drilling in Lake Erie. We need to draw that line
in the sand," Mr. Clark said.
The Ohio Oil and Gas Association has repeatedly questioned
the wisdom of doing that, because Canada does all the drilling
beneath Lake Erie. No Great Lakes state other than Michigan
allows limited extraction.
Canada is the only place where offshore drilling is allowed
in the lakes, although the amount of that type of drilling
is a fraction of that which is on land and from an angle.
Ontario has allowed 2,500 gas wells beneath the Canadian
side of Lake Erie since the early 1900s. About 500 are still
in production, with about 20 new wells drilled a year, the
Ontario Petroleum Institute has said.
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