Southwest Ohio's Yellow Springs Village: First Municipality in Ohio to Adopt Ordinance Banning Shale Gas Drilling
On Oct. 1, the Yellow Springs Village Council voted 3-2 to adopt a Community Bill of Rights ordinance banning shale gas drilling and related activities in the village. Yellow Springs is the first municipality in the state of Ohio to enact a local Bill of Rights and protect those rights by prohibiting shale gas drilling and fracing and the ensuing injection wells. However, such ordinance may not be enforceable and could face a court challenge since the local legislation would be preempted by state law under Ohio Rev. Code 1509.03. Continue reading…