FAYETTE, OH (WTVB) -The Michindoh Aquifer, which serves a portion of Branch and Hillsdale Counties, has been a source of controversy for residents in three states due to a proposed plan by Artesian of Pioneer, Ohio to drill a production well near Fayette, Ohio.
Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency Board of Health member Mark Wiley of Hillsdale County told his fellow board members Thursday that the Ohio Environmental protection Agency will hold a public information session on the proposal in Fayette March 12, 2019.
The Toledo Blade reports agency officials will explain the siting requirements during what is being called a public information session. This after the State of Ohio gave a tentative go ahead for the drilling several weeks ago.
Questions can be submitted before the meeting to Heather Lauer of the Ohio EPA at heather.lauer@epa.ohio.gov.
While there will be no formal testimony during the Fayette meeting, the Ohio EPA will accept written comments until March 15, 2019. They can be sent to Ohio EPA, Division of Drinking and Ground Water, attention Craig Smith, P.O. Box 1049, Columbus, Ohio 43216-1049.
Artesian has been pursued by several Toledo suburbs to test drill the aquifer to see if it’s possible to sell drinking water to them.
The aquifer covers over two million acres across nine counties in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, and provides water to about 400,000 people.
Some feel the aquifer has the potential to provide water for the next 40 years to at least eight other communities. But those in opposition fear the drilling will cause wells to dry up and that the water in Aquifer belongs to the public. Several government boards in Williams County, Ohio have also expressed their opposition to the plan.
