The environmental risks of oil and gas developments and local solutions will be discussed Tuesday night at a meeting at the Scio Township Hall. Citizens for Oil-Free Backyards are hosting the meeting which will include consultant and former Department of Environmental Quality official Chris Grobbel.
The head of Citizens for Oil-Free Backyards Laura Robinson believes local communities across Michigan should have more control over drilling. Robinson doesn't want to just push the issue from Scio Township to other communities, but rather give all Michigan communities the chance to decide if they want to have oil and gas drilling.
The meeting comes as the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality considers a proposal from West Bay Exploration for an oil well in Scio Township.
Residents in Oakland County's Rochester Hills have sued their community for allowing a horizontal drill from outside the city for oil and gas exploration underneath parks and a cemetery.
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— Andrew Cluley is the Ann Arbor beat reporter, and anchor for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him acluley@emich.edu.