For Immediate Release: April 10, 2024 Contact: Emily Bacha media@theoec.org or 614-487-5837 Columbus, OH — Today, the U.S. EPA finalized the agency’s first National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) to limit the amount of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, in drinking water across the country. This standard will not only regulate the maximum amount of PFAS present in drinking water but will also set requirements for monitoring, public notification, and treatment of PFAS.  The following quote can be attributed, in whole or in part, to Melanie Houston, Managing Dire ..read more

Feeling the pinch of high utility bills? You’re not alone. Many Ohioans are facing higher gas bills and struggling to make ends meet. While not everything causing these higher rates is under our state leaders’ control, our state leaders are taking steps that make the situation worse.  While inflation, global conflicts, and supply chain issues have all raised natural gas prices, our leaders right here in Ohio are taking actions to raise our gas bills. State leaders are raising our prices through legislation and regulatory approvals that increase fixed charges (what shows up on your bill as ..read more

The fight for Ohio’s recovering public lands continues and we need your voice. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is once again proposing to lease out approximately 40,000 acres of the Wayne National Forest’s Marietta Unit to the oil and gas industry for drilling and fracking. The proposed project will not only scar this public forest, but also seriously jeopardize  Ohio’s ability to fight climate change. In 2020, the OEC and our partners Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, and Heartwood won a federal lawsuit that stopped this BLM leasing project from moving forward. However, t ..read more

Protect Our Water, Protect Our Future Every year on March 22nd, we celebrate World Water Day – a day dedicated to raising awareness and inspiring action to tackle the global water crisis. This year’s theme, “Water for Peace”, reminds us that all Ohioans deserve access to safe, clean, and affordable water. When we protect our water together, we protect our future, too. Learn more about a few of Ohio’s water challenges below, and find out how you can take action with the OEC to safeguard our water resources for generations to come. Ohio’s Water Challenges Here in Ohio, we’re fortunate to have an ..read more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Thursday, March 21, 2024 CONTACT: Emily Bacha ebacha@theoec.org, 614-4875837   COLUMBUS — The Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) applauds the Ohio Power Siting Board’s (OPSB) approval of Oak Run Solar — the largest solar power generation facility approved in Ohio to date. With proposed 800 megawatts of solar generation and a 300 megawatt battery energy storage system, this project takes a huge step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Ohio.  The OEC joined this case as an intervening party and provided expert testimony from Dr. Jeffrey Reutter ..read more

COLUMBUS, OH — Last week, despite over 1,000 supporting comments and only a sparse few against, the Ohio EPA announced it will not designate the Big and Little Darby Creeks as Outstanding National Resource Waters (ONRW). The Darby Creek Association, Center for Biological Diversity and the Ohio Environmental Council are deeply disappointed in the Ohio EPA’s decision to deny the Big and Little Darby Creeks the strongest category of protection available under the Clean Water Act. Ohio EPA’s decision fails to recognize the Darby Watershed’s nationally significant biodiversity. To qualify for ONRW ..read more

NASA has confirmed that 2023 was the warmest year on human record. The latest IPCC climate report shows climate change is more urgent than ever before, signaling the need to reduce not only carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but methane as well. Methane remains in our atmosphere for roughly 10 years, whereas CO2 remains for centuries. However, over 20 years, methane traps nearly 80 times more heat than CO2. Reinforcing its status as a super pollutant, methane is also the primary contributor to ground-level ozone, or smog, a hazardous form of air pollution that causes 1 million premature deaths ye ..read more

For Immediate Release: Feb 20, 2024 Contact: Marisa Twigg, mtwigg@theoec.org or 614-487-5837 COLUMBUS, OH — The Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) and Earthjustice, on behalf of the OEC and Save Ohio Parks as well as Buckeye Environmental Network and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, filed a Motion for Suspension of Agency Orders to halt pending action scheduled for the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission’s (OGLMC) meeting on February 26, 2024.  The meeting scheduled for February 26, 2024 accelerates the bidding process for oil and gas development of Salt Fork State Park and other state ..read more

For Immediate Release: Feb 15, 2024 Contact: Marisa Twigg, mtwigg@theoec.org or 614-487-5837 YOUNGSTOWN, OH — Despite sustained opposition from residents and a 12-month moratorium on waste pyrolysis operations passed by Youngstown City Council, yesterday the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) issued a permit-to-install for SOBE Thermal Energy Systems, LLC. The state’s decision is worrisome given the U.S. EPA’s considerable environmental justice and civil rights concerns outlined in an email to the Ohio EPA in September 2023. The significant unknowns regarding the advanced gasifica ..read more

Neither the Ohio Attorney General’s nor the Ohio Inspector General’s offices have responded to our joint request with environmental and consumer organizations. For Immediate Release: February 12, 2024 Contact: Marisa Twigg mtwigg@theoec.org or 614-487-5837 COLUMBUS —  Today’s indictments of former chair Samuel Randazzo, Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling underscore our previous call for a comprehensive investigation into the extent to which Randazzo improperly influenced Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) actions during his tenure. Neither the Ohio Attorney General’s nor the Ohio Ins ..read more