We hope you can join the Sierra Club for our annual Chapter Retreat. As one of the largest and most influential environmental organizations in the state, this is the time each year where we celebrate our victories, renew our spirits, and make our plans the year ahead. All are welcome, and meals will be provided for members who register.
Join us at Mohican State Park Lodge for the Annual Chapter Retreat on Jan 31st- Feb 1st!
Click here to submit public comments to Ohio EPA by November 19.
1.) Insist algae toxin standards be created for Ohio drinking water supplies
2.) Request mandatory testing to occur at community water systems
Carbon pollution rolls from Sammis Coal-fired Power Plant. Utilities are asking PUCO to approve passing costs for outdated plants like Sammis onto customers. credit: Akron Beacon Journal
In June 2014, Governor Kasich signed into law a bill that guts Ohio’s clean energy and efficiency standards. Passing this new law was not enough for Ohio’s utilities, though.
Now, Ohio’s largest electric utilities, AEP, Duke, and FirstEnergy are seeking to keep a number of Ohio’s oldest and dirtiest power plants open for years to come.
And they want you and me to pay for it.
June 25th, 2014
UPDATE: one of these facilities has exploded, injuring three workers.
In 2013, the Ohio legislature quietly inserted a provision in the budget (HB 59) that modified state oil and gas laws in ORC 1509.22(B)(2)(a) to read as follows:
On and after January 1, 2014, no person shall store, recycle, treat, process, or dispose of in this state brine or other waste substances associated with the exploration, development, well stimulation, production operations, or plugging of oil and gas resources without an order or a permit issued under this section or section 1509.06 or 1509.21 of the Revised Code or rules adopted under any of those sections. For purposes of division (B)(2)(a) of this section, a permit or other form of authorization issued by another agency of the state or a political subdivision of the state shall not be considered a permit or order issued by the chief of the division of oil and gas resources management under this chapter.
This has allowed over 20 facilities to exist in Ohio that can handle dangerous (explosive, toxic chemicals and radionuclides present) without a permit, rather simply with an “order by the chief” of Ohio DNR. For an explanation of this issue, see Terry Lodge’s letter to Attorney General Mike DeWine raising concerns about worker safety and environmental contamination below. Also see the testimony where Patriot advocated for this “grandfathering clause” in ORC 1509. It should be noted that this is the very same non-regulatory strategy that lead to the tragic contamination of water in West Virginia earlier this year.