Republicans (literally) poisoned my district

Last June, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) shut down injection wells in OH-12 after testing revealed that they were posing “imminent danger” to the environment and us.

But a commission appointed by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine reversed the decision in October, REOPENED the wells without fixing the leak, and exposed the people of Athens County to this toxic pollutant for six months.

For context, injection wells are sites where oil companies dispose of water and toxic chemicals produced from fracking. When these wells start leaking to the ground level, they can cause substantial immediate and ongoing damage to the surrounding areas.

That’s exactly what happened in Athens County, and DeWine’s Oil and Gas Commission let it continue.

By state law, this commission can appeal decisions related to Ohio’s oil and gas production.

We wouldn’t want Big Oil to make decisions that impact the public’s health and safety, so the law requires that only two of the five members represent the industry. The other three must be an expert in geology, a lawyer familiar with oil and gas law, and someone to represent the public.

Gov. DeWine ignored the law and packed the Oil and Gas Commission with – you guessed it – oil and gas executives and attorneys who represent the oil and gas industry.

This is what Americans get with Republican leadership: their health, safety, and future put in “imminent danger,” sacrificed to corporations and trillion-dollar industries.

Democrats can pass legislation to limit Big Oil’s grip on our economy, our planet, and on Republicans like DeWine and my opponent. Will you help me flip the House so I can see to it that they do?

I’m running to unseat Republican House Rep. Troy Balderson, a staunch supporter of fracking, injection wells, and Big Oil.

In fact, the largest contributor to his re-election campaign is the same industry that risked his constituents’ lives for six months.

Balderson has no problem sacrificing the public for a cut of the profits, and he should not be allowed to make decisions that impact you, me, and families throughout the country.

Republicans have a long history of giving public power to private corporations, and I’m fighting to put an end to it in Congress.

That is the only way to protect us from corporate greed and watching our planet die.

Thanks for all you do,

Jerrad Christian 

Democrat for OH-12