The Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission approved the expansion of fracking across nearly 9,000 acres of public land today, including portions of Egypt Valley Wildlife Area and Salt Fork State Park, despite more than 1,300 public comments opposing the nominations, according to Save Ohio Parks.

The commission meeting concluded within 13 minutes, according to a statement from Save Ohio Parks leadership.

"The OGLMC is not serious; it's interested only in doing what Gov. Mike DeWine and his gas and oil allies want—ignore the will of the public and rubberstamp dirty and dangerous fracking under Ohio's public lands. There meeting was over within 13 minutes," Save Ohio Parks leadership said in the statement.

Advocates, environmental leaders and community members gathered outside the commission meeting Friday to denounce the decision and warn of its long-term consequences, according to the Save Ohio Parks release.

Expanding nominations

The approved acreage is part of a rapidly expanding effort to open Ohio's public lands to oil and gas extraction, according to the release. Since January, more than 16,000 acres of state parks and wildlife areas have been nominated for fracking, according to Save Ohio Parks.

Local leaders and advocates say the push is being driven in part by growing energy demand from data centers across the state, according to the release.

"You guessed it — our state parks and public lands," said Cathy Cowan Becker, board president of Save Ohio Parks, referring to where the gas to power new data centers will come from, according to the statement.

Environmental and health concerns

"Fracking under these publicly owned natural areas is unconscionable," said Linda New of the Ohio Sierra Club, according to the release. "There have been at least 2,000 incidents associated with oil and gas wells in Ohio in the past eight years, including explosions, fires, and toxic releases."

Environmental and public health concerns were central to the opposition, according to the release. Advocates cited risks including air and water contamination, increased methane emissions and documented health impacts such as asthma, low birth weight and cancer linked to proximity to fracking infrastructure, according to Save Ohio Parks.

Transparency and local control

Community members also raised alarms about transparency and local control, pointing to secrecy and corporate influence in decision-making, according to the release.

"This is not progress. This is extraction, and our communities are paying the price," said Barry Blankenship, a community advocate, according to the statement. "This is our land, our water, and our future, and we refuse to be ignored."

"The poisonous fruits of fracking will now grow in everyone's backyard," Save Ohio Parks said in its statement.

Advocates say the fight is far from over and are calling on lawmakers to pass legislation that would ban fracking in state parks and protect public lands, according to the release.