"Fast-growing interest in natural-gas drilling could create a flood of cash for Ohio cities eager to treat wastewater used to coax the gas from deep inside Utica and Marcellus shale.

But what's good for the cities might be bad for the state. The process could pollute Ohio streams and rivers, environmental officials say.

East Liverpool, Steubenville and Warren want to take the millions of gallons of salty, toxic wastewater that such wells produce and run it through their sewage-treatment plants. However, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency officials say they want strict limits on the amount of brine the cities want to dump in the Mahoning and Ohio rivers."

Spencer Hunt reports for the Columbus Dispatch February 13, 2011. [2]