Ohio Governor Signs Executive Order Banning Drilling Under Lake Erie

[Judi Lynn]

Ohio Governor Signs Executive Order Banning Drilling Under Lake Erie

Reported by: AP
Web produced by: Liz Foreman
Photographed by: 9News
8/20/03 8:21:55 AM

Ohio Governor Bob Taft has signed an executive order banning drilling for oil or gas under the Ohio waters of Lake Erie.

Taft has been under pressure to act from environmental groups concerned that the activity could begin after a federal ban on drilling in the Great Lakes expires in September 2005.

The governor signed the order last month without fanfare, spokesman Orest Holubec disclosed on Tuesday.

The move didn't sit well with critics who contend Ohioans need the energy and the cash the drilling would provide. (snip/...)

http://wcpo.com/news/2003/local/08/20/taft.html

[finn]

1. it s not under the water

it is on top of the water where you ll find oil and gas.

[noonwitch]

2. Too little, too late

Former Michigan Governor John Engler already ruined the great lakes. My sister in Holland, MI told me that the beaches there were closed due to e coli, which has never happened in the bigger lakes, only in St. Clair. There were never any problems with the bacteria in Michigan, including Lake St. Clair, until after 1990. It took Engler about 3-4 years to undo all of previous governors Blanchard (d) and Milliken (the last good republican)environmental efforts. Lake St. Clair was ruined when he stopped enforcing rules about Macomb County's sewage. It didn't help that the water levels have fallen due to selling water to other states. I have never seen the water as low in Lake Michigan as it is now.

I feel bad for Gov. Granholm. She has such a big mess to clean up and no money to do it with.