To the editor:

As a Columbiana County resident, a small business owner and active community member, I have personal experience of the direct economic impact the oil and natural gas industry has on the region.

I grew up in an area where we are blessed with an abundance of natural resources all around us. The energy crisis we are facing is one of the main reasons why we have a terrible inflation problem.

With the costs of gas, manufactured goods, and food increasing, we need to now, more than ever, rely on our own oil, natural gas, and coal in order to drive down the costs for consumers across the local counties, our state, and our country.

The future of energy production in this country will not only lead to increased jobs and tax revenue to our region but will help the United States to become energy independent.

We here in Columbiana County are all too familiar with the development of oil and gas in this county. The long-term generational financial benefits of developing the land around us is a no-brainer. It would ensure the long-term financial revenue stream our schools and public entities currently rely on, would not only continue, but would experience significant growth. This is huge for a county like Columbiana!

In closing, I look to the leaders in the state to get on board and support developing the land throughout the state that has these natural resources. These are at the tip of our fingers and will put Ohio as a continued leader in the oil and natural gas industry throughout the entire country.

Rick Dieringer,

East Liverpool