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Fracking lobby money gushes forth in Ohio
TweetBy Karl Henkel
Fracking industry contributions are filling the coffers of Ohio legislators and public officials just as fast as oil and gas companies are invading the state, according to a nonprofit group.
Common Cause, a nonprofit advocacy organization, has found that the industry has spent nearly $750 million for lobbying and has contributed nearly $21 million to members of Congress during the past decade.
Nearly $3 million of that went to Ohio legislators and public officials, and that number will only swell as fracking picks up throughout the Buckeye State.
Fracking is a process that involves injecting a mix of sand, chemicals and water into a well at high pressure to break underground rock formations and free up natural gas.
It has been a contentious issue across the nation because of its possible environmental impact.
Legislators, partisan groups and public officials — many from Ohio — have been the direct beneficiaries of fracking money.
Gov. John Kasich tops the list; he has collected $213,519 during the past 10 years.
Kasich’s office embraced the fact it wants to help the fracking industry.
“Over the next four years, shale is expected to create more than 200,000 jobs in Ohio and bring in nearly half a billion dollars in additional revenue to the state,” said Rob Nichols, Kasich’s spokesman. “While the governor has warned the industry that they better play by our environmental rules and regulations, we are glad to have the support of an industry that is poised to reinvigorate the [Mahoning] Valley’s economy and put a whole bunch of Ohioans back to work.”
Other top beneficiaries include the Republican Senate Campaign Committee, which has received $114,750, and the Ohio House Republican Organizing Committee, which has netted $95,500.
Nineteen of the top 20 state-level recipients of fracking industry money are Republicans; the lone Democrat is former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, who has received $87,450.
Ohio’s federal legislators pocketed $562,000, led by Speaker of the House John Boehner, a Republican from West Chester, who has received $186,900 in contributions; $173,500 of that was from political-action committees, or PACs.
A PAC is an industry or advocacy group that raises and contributes money to the campaigns of candidates likely to advance the group’s interests.
Boehner was the 24th-highest beneficiary of fracking money among U.S. legislators.
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican from Cincinnati, has received $91,000, and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Avon, has netted $11,000.
Brown declined to comment on the Common Cause study but said that “as shale companies begin work ... it is imperative that we ensure the safety of our drinking water and that Ohio jobs are going to Ohio workers.”
U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson of Marietta, R-6th, has received $13,000. U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, has collected $500.
James Browning, regional director of state operations for Common Cause, told The Vindicator that contributions in Ohio, home of the Utica Shale, should continue to increase much like they did a few years ago in Pennsylvania, which has the Marcellus Shale.
Browning also said that it will be harder to track the money going to legislators and state officials because of Ohio’s weak lobbying restrictions.
Ohio does not require lobbyists to disclose campaign contributions, which may distort overall contributions.
For example, in 2009, Pennsylvania lobbyists reported spending $470 million in 2009, 100 times more than the $407,322 in Ohio.
“The public doesn’t even get to see the millions spent by the industry,” Browning said.
The fracking industry’s expenditures have targeted the federal FRAC Act, which would regulate fracking under the Safe Drinking Water Act and require full disclosure when it comes to chemicals used in the fracking process.
The bill was introduced in both the House and the Senate during the 111th Congress but was not acted upon.
The bill has been re-introduced in the 112th Congress and has been introduced and referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy.
Comments
Looks like Tim Ryan got a lot more than what he's worth.
Looks like we know who is on the Take ! Just look at the numbers Photo .Kasich is right at home with these thieves ! Were watching and counting.
" U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, has collected $500."
Timmy could have used more money . . .. The grinches stole his Christmas . . ..
“Over the next four years, shale is expected to create more than 200,000 jobs in Ohio and bring in nearly half a billion dollars in additional revenue to the state,” said Rob Nichols, Kasich’s spokesman. “ -- - Bull.
I wouldn't call it "Bull". I'm pretty excited about all those jobs at WalMart and Starbucks, as Fracking helps us suburbanze our State. And how much of that revenue will be used clean up the mess from fracking? We know the industry won't be restoring any of the forests they clear, nor will they continually pay for the burden they place on our infrastructure (e.g. roads, wastewater treatment, run off, etc.).
For those who think that drilling will create thousands of jobs for Ohio here are the facts on wellsite jobs.
Each well will have about 20 highly skilled drilling workers, almost all of them will move from well to well and most will be from out of state.
The drilling company will hire a trucking company to deliver supplies (which may or may not be a local company) about 20 drivers. They will also hire a trucking company usually local to haul away the toxic and often radioactive waste, they will pat them very well so that they don't ask questions and will leave it up to the trucking company to dispose of the wastewater (about 25 jobs), The trucking companies in order to maximize profits will not tell their drivers the dangers of the wastewater and may even encourage their drivers to dump it whereever they can get away with it without getting caught (rivers and stream in rural areas). see these videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIb5pp...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToNjVL...
All of these jobs will be gone in 12 to 18 months and for most of that time only 2/3 are on the job at any one time, there is a short 30-45 day window when all of these jobs will be going on together.
Now the industry will tell you that they are going to be drilling 1000's of wells hoping that you will take this measly assortment of 30-60 local jobs and multiply it by thousands of wells so that you see visions of sugarplums dancing in your head, but the reality is that the drilling is done assembly line fashion, and the crews move from well to well and the jobs go with them. It is true that there is more than one company out there drilling the wells (about 50 in Pennsylvania right now and they are at the height of their drilling boom) so we can take the 75-100 jobs per drilling site and multiply it by 50 for a total of 3500 to 5000 jobs spread across the entire state of Ohio and spread out over 5 to 15 years! Not so impressive now, is it!
Howard your right. But I think it can also be a land grab. It could either be taxed out of existence or be worthless after it is poisoned-the water that is.If the powers that be were so worried about jobs they wouldn't be sending so many over seas.Land and greed.
Micropterus - -I meant "Bull" for the reasons Howard states. I also agree that the corporations will and have ruined large tracts of forest land. Look at what has been done to our state forests.
Drill, baby, drill. I will be receiving my next royalty check in a few weeks!
60 pieces of silver?
@ Walter If you are drinking and bathing in the water from your land, I feel sorry for you as you and your family may not be alive in 5 to 8 years. May God bless your family.
WOW, Cambridge! Is this a biblical reference? I believe Judas betrayed the Savior for 30 pieces of silver, though, but maybe your book adjusts for inflation. Would it make it better for you if I told you that I donate the royalties to my church in Canfield that has an orphanage in Haiti, a mission in the Appalachians, and staffs the St. Vincent Soup kitchen?
ANd, Howard, I actually have a creek running through my property which receives more pollution from runoff in insecticide, herbicide, and petroleum products. But, yet, we have fish, frogs, turtles, muskrat and the occassional beaver (real beaver) on the creek. Nature is very resilient and has withstood much worse from man than fracking! However, it is true that I may not be alive in 5 to 8 years. All the more reason to get my royalties now, huh?
http://www.wtov9.com/news/news/sports...
This is another example of the muscle the oil & gas industry is willing to exert to have their way!
Howard,
There you go again, distorting the facts. The land in question was pirchased by a wildlife club with the knowledge that they did not hold mineral rights to the land. Therefore, under state law, the exploration company has certain authority over the land. I mean, do you really believe a company this large does not have the legal knowledge to know what they are permitted to do? BEFORE you purchase a piece of property, you need to should spend a few hundred dollars and have an attorney review the deed.
I worked several years as a roughneck in Wyoming in the early 80s, when Y-town was 23% unemployment. Learned alot about how things are done in the oil "bidness". Big or little, oil companies do whatever they can get away with. They cover things up temporarily for appearances sake. I saw oil spills buried, pristine mountain streams with waste pipelines dumping well fluids, and I have fracked wells because that was what the job required.
And in an area of economic uncertainty, they possess an inordinate amount of power and influence. But hey, think back to when the mills were going and the skies were full of sparkling metal particles. Economic prosperity comes at a price, no matter what industry.
STOP THE MADNESS ! We can eliminate fracking ! Sell that car ! Dig up that gasline and remove it from the house . Get some tents and we can all occupy Youngstown . . ..