WINDSOR, Ohio – From spills to earthquakes, environmental and agriculture groups say hydraulic fracturing poses serious threats to land, water and public health.

Ohio is one of several states taking part in a National Day of Action today, calling for an end to fracking waste and fracking-related earthquakes.

Mardy Townsend owns Marshy Meadows Farm in Ashtabula County, where there are 15 active fracking waste injection wells. A board member of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, she says a similar well was behind a series of earthquakes in the area in 1986.

"That is a real concern for us, because the Perry Nuclear Power Plant is less than 20 miles away from my home and my farm," she says. "It is one of the few areas in Ohio that has been known to already have seismic activity."

There are over 180 injection wells in Ohio receiving fracking waste from Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and state officials linked a string of quakes near Youngstown in 2011 to a wastewater injection well. Industry groups, such as Energy from Shale, argue that hydraulic fracturing is safe, and a boon to the economy – if regulated properly.

To coincide with the national event, Ashtabula County Water Watch is launching a campaign to increase awareness among residents about the dangers of fracking waste. Townsend says what is known as "brine" is toxic, radioactive and largely unregulated.

"The concerns have to do with the possible environmental contamination," she says. "The other concerns that the people in this county have about brine is that it is being spread as dust control on the dirt roads."

Townsend adds that very few people benefit from the claimed benefits of fracking, while the rest are left exposed to environmental problems, including possible water and soil contamination.

"I do know of an organic farmer who is surrounded by both frack pads and compressor stations, and I don't know how long he's going to be able to hold on," she says. "Stewardship of the earth is one of the reasons we're organic farmers, and fracking does not lead to good stewardship of the earth."

Rallies are being held in over a dozen Ohio counties, as well as in Cincinnati and Columbus.


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Federal data show health care and technology-related jobs are still in high demand but a career in clean energy is now at the top of the list, too, and Wisconsin labor leaders said opportunities are unfolding in the region.

New findings from the Climate Jobs National Resource Center list 82 Wisconsin projects tied to the clean energy transition in the pipeline, which could qualify for tax incentives and key labor standards under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Emily Pritzkow, executive director of the Wisconsin Building Trades Council, said companies behind wind, solar and similar development need to attract workers while adhering to hiring benchmarks.

"Excellent pay, flexibility," Pritzkow pointed out. "And we are rising to meet that."

Labor standards for Inflation Reduction Act projects call for apprenticeships to be offered, so new hires can learn on the job. Pritzkow stressed Wisconsin unions play a big role in carrying out the learning aspect of the hiring boom. There are challenges though, with labor groups noting not enough people are aware of job possibilities and the need for things like affordable housing if a worker has to relocate for their new career.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists wind turbine technicians and solar installers as the fastest growing occupations in the U.S. In amplifying messaging, Pritzkow emphasized they have to overcome long-held beliefs only certain other industries, such as dentistry, routinely offer stable employment.

"I think there maybe are some old ideas about what working in the trades means," Pritzkow observed. "These are not temporary jobs. These are meant to be careers."

She added clean energy projects are helping to fuel record demand for apprenticeships. Earlier this year, four major utilities operating in Wisconsin pledged to hire union workers for development spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act. The Climate Jobs National Resource Center estimates the incentives will lead to more than 42,000 union-scale jobs in Wisconsin.

A volunteer program has caught the attention of West Virginia tourism officials.

The Dolly Sods Wilderness Stewards program has been recognized with a "Spirit of West Virginia Award." The program started as a collaboration in 2021 with West Virginia Highlands Conservancy and the Monongahela National Forest.

Dave Johnston, program coordinator, said volunteers are trained to educate visitors on 'leave no trace' principles, trail cleaning and more.

"Taking inventories of campsites and things like that," Johnston explained. "We're basically serving as eyes and ears for the Forest Service for what's going on in the backcountry."

More than 100 volunteers work to preserve and maintain the more than 17,000-acre area in the Allegheny Mountains. According to the International Journal of Wilderness, more states are turning to volunteer groups to maintain trails and collect data, as dollars for the management of federal lands have decreased.

Johnston added the work is important for sustaining protected lands for future generations, noting wilderness areas are specially designated by Congress to remain as pristine as possible.

"They're the most primitive form of public lands that are set aside for people to enjoy in this country," Johnston emphasized.

According to numbers by the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, an estimated 35,000 people hike and retreat to the Dolly Sods each year.


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One of nature's hardest workers is facing extinction from repeated exposure to a dangerous pesticide.

Scientists conducting CT scans reveal neonicotinoid pesticides or "neonics" attack baby bumblebees' brain development and cause neurological damage like paralysis, shaking or death. Use of the chemical introduced in the 1900s has grown globally.

The policy and action group Environment Illinois wants the worst uses of the products banned and removed from store shelves.

Emily Kowalski, outreach and engagement manager for the group, said the chemical is an ingredient in household products and agricultural or industrial applications.

"Neonic pesticides are used on crops but also can be found in some pesticides that are used in home gardens," Kowalski explained. "And are also increasingly being found on coated-on seeds that are being used for farming."

Kowalski added the neonic-coated seeds can contain extremely high chemical concentrations. The global environmental group Greenpeace indicated fruits, nuts, and vegetables and 70% of human food crops are pollinated by bees.

Eleven states have legislation on the books that prohibits the use of dangerous bee-killing products. Illinois is not one of them. In this year's session, lawmakers discussed the "Birds and Bees Act," which would limit the use of neonic pesticides. Kowalski hopes legislators will do more.

"This is a bill that we're supporting, and we are excited to work with legislators to move it forward," Kowalski emphasized. "From the advocacy community, I know there is a lot of appetite to take action, whether it's in this upcoming legislative session, or in looking at the next few years, making sure that Illinois is the next state to protect our pollinators."

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has cited habitat loss, mites, competition from nonnative species, and diseases as contributors to a declining bee population.


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