Is fracking helpful or harmful?
That’s the question surrounding a new report from the Ohio River Valley Institute.
It claims counties in our area suffered as production increased in oil and natural gas, but those working in the industry have a very different view.
This report is nothing more than once again, someone who is out of town and out of touch talking bad to the Ohio Valley.
MIKE CHADSEY, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS, OHIO OIL & GAS ASSOCIATION
That’s basically how the Ohio Oil and Gas Association said it feels about the Ohio River Valley Institute’s fracking counties economic impact report called “Appalachia’s Natural Gas Counties: Contributing more to the U.S. economy and getting less in return”.
While the report claims that the industry’s promises of jobs and money to local economies weren’t delivered, others say that’s not what’s happening in our area.
Unless you’ve been here and seen it it’s easy to drive through and think ‘oh nothing’s ever happened here look how bad it is’. If they’d seen it before versus where it is now there’s a big difference.
TAYLOR ABBOTT, MONROE COUNTY TREASURER
The Ohio River Valley Institute’s report says natural gas counties are suffering.
So, 7News took their data for the last ten years to those representing the oil and gas industries and local counties for comparison.
Let’s start with jobs.
The report claims that jobs in the 22 county region covered didn’t live up to the 450,000 jobs that were expected in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It goes on to say that, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, jobs increased by 1.7%. That’s compared to the nationwide 10%.
Don’t take it from me. Take it from the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services and their numbers say over 200,000 Ohioans work in the Ohio oil and gas industry. Now, you add this to the Pennsylvania number and the West Virginia that becomes several hundred thousand very quickly.
MIKE CHADSEY, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS, OHIO OIL & GAS ASSOCIATION
What about impact on the economy?
The report says while economic output grew by 60%, little of that money actually made it into local economies.
The Ohio Oil and Gas Association countered with numbers from the state.
They tell us that the average wage in the oil and gas industry is higher than the overall wage in the state of Ohio. That’s a really good thing. We also know that $86 billion has been invested in Ohio over the last 10 years because of shale development.
MIKE CHADSEY, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS, OHIO OIL & GAS ASSOCIATION
I’ve seen so many families that struggled to keep family-owned properties and farms and when this started they’ve been able to have money and income come in that can pay off some of their bills, let them live comfortably and still maintain and take care of these farms that they’ve had in their families for generations.
TAYLOR ABBOTT, MONROE COUNTY TREASURER
Both Chadsey and Abbott said for the first time there in generational wealth within families. In turn, they are giving some of that money to scholarships and other charitable organizations.
Abbot said Monroe County alone collected more than $180 million in real estate property taxes in the last five years.
More than $121 million of which went back into the local school district.
Those are real numbers. That’s real money. For the school district, they’ve been able to renovate several facilities, the sports complexes. We’ve got some quality, tangible evidence in the county to show this money that has come in and impacted these areas.
TAYLOR ABBOTT, MONROE COUNTY TREASURER
Abbot also explained the report’s claims about Ohio seeing heavy job loss aren’t true for Monroe County.
The report says that Ohio’s seven eastern counties; which include Belmont, Carroll, Guernsey, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe and Noble, saw a job loss of more than 8% along with a 3% population loss.
We have historically had a higher unemployment rate. It dropped considerably over that period and it’s a direct correlation to the oil and gas industry.
TAYLOR ABBOTT, MONROE COUNTY TREASURER
He said reports like this are detrimental to the oil and gas industry as it tries to help areas like the Ohio Valley rebuild.
Our folks are gonna wake up, go to work, and provide clean abundant reliable natural gas that’s gonna power this economy and this will end up just being a couple of pieces of paper shoved in a desk drawer.
MIKE CHADSEY, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS, OHIO OIL & GAS ASSOCIATION
