During his first term, Gov. John Kasich wisely halted a plan that would have authorized hydraulic fracturing in state parks and forests. A reckless bill approved by the Ohio House last week would circumvent Mr. Kasich’s moratorium and open up state forests to the controversial method of oil and natural-gas drilling, with almost no oversight. The Senate should reject the bill; if it reaches the governor’s desk, it merits a veto.

House lawmakers removed language from their measure that would have permitted fracking in state parks. But the bill would make it easier to frack on other public lands, including state forests and wildlife areas. It would circumvent the mandatory public input, visitor-impact statement, environmental assessments, and other safeguards that state fracking law and regulation otherwise require.

Advocates take advantage of the lack of scientific consensus on fracking to suggest that claims about its dangers are exaggerated. In fact, there is broad agreement about the risks of fracking, even though scientists may not agree on appropriate solutions.

Mounting evidence links fracking to a sharp increase in earthquakes in Ohio and across the country. A study by the Seismological Society of America concluded that fracking was responsible for dozens of small earthquakes near Youngstown in recent years.

Critics also tie fracking to other public health hazards, including high levels of radioactivity and toxic chemicals in wastewater. Contrary to the claims of the Kasich administration, Ohio doesn’t adequately regulate or track these threats.

Last year, after Pennsylvania officials discovered dangerous levels of radiation in a creek near a fracking wastewater treatment plant in the eastern part of the state, the Ohio Department of Health said it saw no need to conduct such tests here. Most of Ohio’s fracking waste is imported from other states, including Pennsylvania.

Columbus’ powerful oil and gas lobby responds to such safety concerns by changing the subject. They say fracking on public land would have no “surface impact,” and have persuaded industry-friendly lawmakers to write meaningless protections into legislation. Ohioans shouldn’t be fooled by such phony provisions; the potential risks of fracking go well beyond the surface.

The Obama Administration announced this month that it would strengthen 30-year-old rules that govern fracking on federal land. The updated rules are better than nothing, but it would be better not to permit fracking on public land at all.

Governor Kasich got it right when he decided not to extend fracking to land that is set aside for Ohioans to enjoy. Although fracking offers Ohio economic benefits now, the practice could increase dependence on climate-warming fossil fuels at a potentially perilous cost.

While fracking remains a booming business in Ohio, the governor and lawmakers must regulate it adequately — not allow it to expand to precious public land.

First Published March 29, 2015, 4:00 a.m.