I share the concerns and outrage of many Ohio citizens regarding the spread of radioactive oil and gas waste in Ohio communities.  We are asking for your support in opposing any such bill that would commercialize brine as a commodity should any bill come up before the 134th Ohio General Assembly.

One such product, currently marketed under the name AquaSalina, was tested separately by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Results from the test revealed that this product contains high levels of Radium-226 and Radium-228.

Protection of Public Health and Safety

Test data from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources  showed Aqua Salina purchased right off the shelf  had Radium-226 and Radium-228 in all samples exceeding the environmental discharge limit of 120 pCi/L established in Ohio Administrative Code 3701:1-38-12, Appendix C, Table II. Also, a sample taken from a hardware store in Hartville, Ohio tested over 500 times the USEPA Drinking Water limits for Radium-226 and Radium-228. The average of the samples tested by ODNR was 300 times federal drinking water limits for Radium-226.

We have been told over and over that this product is safe because it is from waste that is produced by conventional wells and not unconventional horizontal wells.  As we suspected all along, this statement is not true; waste from conventional wells can be highly radioactive.  

Radium-226 is especially dangerous because, unlike many radioactive isotopes, it dissolves readily in water. When this contaminated water is ingested, the body mistakenly recognizes Ra-226 as dissolved calcium and deposits it in bone tissue. Radium-226 is a bone seeker and causes bone cancer.  

Radium-226 is an "alpha particle emitter," meaning that its atoms have enough radioactive energy to bombard surrounding cell tissues and cause cell mutations. Alpha particles are difficult to detect and have a greater potential to damage biological tissue. In fact, radon gas - radium in gas form - is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S.  

Exposure to high levels of radium results in an increased incidence of bone, liver, and breast cancer. The EPA and the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation have stated that radium is a known human carcinogen (ATSDR ToxFAQs).  Allowing the spreading of these alpha particles in the environment is a serious health issue that must be halted now!

I am extremely concerned about health risks to my family and members of the public exposed to this radioactive material through direct skin contact, ingestion of particles from contaminated hands, inhalation of radioactive dust, ingestion of radioactive dust on crops, and via contamination of drinking water supplies.  Citizens are depending on you to prevent this "product" from any further use.