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Ohioans have been concerned -- perhaps rightfully -- about the rise of data centers for at least the last couple of years. It remains to be seen if they will be a boon to municipalities in the Mahoning Valley or a modern Frankenstein's monster.
But something else has now moved from a minor annoyance to a clear and present danger to property and perhaps even lives.
Representatives of multiple companies are working feverishly in many parts of Ohio -- including here -- to install fiber-optic cables. You may have seen this work happening in your neighborhood. If you've driven just about anywhere in Trumbull County, you've probably made your way through areas where fiber-optic cables are being installed.
Like the data centers, this is related to our increasing reliance on technology as a major part of our daily lives. We want faster and faster internet speeds and access to thousands of channels instantly and fiber-optic cables enables that to happen.
But putting those cables in the ground has been fraught with problems, and the results have been troublesome.
The least of that has been workers from these companies -- who often employ third-parties to do the work -- tearing up residential and commercial property. A Trumbull County man recently was arrested and charged for brandishing a weapon during a confrontation with fiber-optic cable installation crew.
But some of these crews here and in other places in Ohio have struck or severed gas and electrical lines in the course of their work. A couple lost their home on North State Street (U.S. Route 422) in Girard when a crew struck a gas line in their neighborhood. The house was a total loss.
But wait. There's more.
On Monday, a fiber-optics crew struck a gas line in Cortland. Two days later, another crew struck a gas line in nearby Bazetta Township, forcing emergency responders and Enbridge Gas to close a portion of Niles-Cortland Road (state Route 46).
This week's incidents triggered an emergency meeting of the Trumbull County commissioners on Thursday morning. Even before this week's occurrences, there were reportedly as many as 18 instances of utility line and property damage related to fiber-optic line installation in Cortland alone.
In late June, a fiber-optic cable installation crew struck a gas line in Twinsburg, resulting in a huge explosion and fire that destroyed three homes. That blast was blamed on "incorrect utility markings" by a third-party contractor. On Wednesday -- the same day as the Bazetta Township incident -- a construction crew struck a gas line in Solon, resulting in the evacuations of businesses and shelter-in-place orders for nearby residents in Solon and Orange Village.
That incident does not appear to have involved fiber-optic cable installation, as water-main work appears to have been happening there.
But there have been too many incidents that have been caused by crews working for several different companies in northeastern Ohio. We see TV commercials and hear radio spots about the need to be careful when digging. Residents are advised to call 811 to learn about the exact placement of utility lines on property before beginning any project. Surely, the companies installing their lines -- or the third-party contractors handling the work -- know about the dangers involved.
So far, there hasn't been a human cost to these mishaps. But what if that Girard couple had been home when their house exploded? Two dogs were rescued from the demolished home, but the fate of several cats was unknown at the time because the structure wasn't safe to enter. The Twinsburg explosion leveled three homes. It could have been much worse.
The pursuit of technological advances should not come at the cost of people's safety and damage to their property.
The companies involved and those hired to do the work must be held accountable. We should not accept possible death and destruction as the cost of a faster internet connection.