A group of local citizens is about to launch an initiative petition drive to put a charter
amendment on the November ballot that would ban hydraulic fracturing as a means to drill for oil and gas in
Bowling Green.Lisa Kochheiser, public relations and marketing person for the FreshWater Accountability
Project, based in Grand Rapids, told city council Monday night the city needs to act now. She said the fact
that Bowling Green is a charter city provides the city with a better chance of protecting the
community."It is not ironclad but offers a better chance of success," she said.Hydraulic
fracturing is a process that uses a pressurized liquid, usually water and other material, to fracture layers
of rock to unlock deposits of oil and natural gas.The group is concerned about potential environmental
impacts of the process, such as contamination of ground water and risks to air quality and the disposal of
waste.Kochheiser said the Ohio Department of Natural Resources issued a well permit for Liberty Township,
just south of Bowling Green, last September. "We are still investigating the details there," she
said.The group plans to start circulating a petition in the next week. The petition must first be filed with
the clerk of city council. She said the goal is to collect about 1,600 signatures to make sure there are
enough valid signatures upon review of the Wood County Board of Elections. The goal is to have the
signatures by Aug. 1."There are only five cities in Ohio where a ban has been enacted, Athens,
Broadview Heights, Cincinnati, Mansfield and Yellow Springs," she said.The group is also aware of well
permits being approved in neighboring Lucas, Fulton and Sandusky counties.Kochheiser said the group is aware
that the community of North Royalton is attempting to appeal a well being drilled in that community.