OEC - Water

Rivers, Streams, Wetlands - Water Quality Laws

The Clean Water Act has helped to improve Ohio's water quality, but our waterways fall far short of its promise “to protect and restore the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters.”

The federal Clean Water Act and the state of Ohio’s water pollution laws in section 6111 of the Ohio Revised Code (external link) establish the regulatory basis for water protection in Ohio. Many of Ohio’s water pollution regulations can be found in Chapter 3745 of the Ohio Administrative Code (external link). The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (external link) and Ohio Department of Natural Resources (external link) are responsible for many point and non-point source pollution programs.

OEC’s Stormwater Guide Released

The Clean Water Act’s “stormwater phase II” regulations establish requirements on construction sites to reduce erosion and control runoff. Our Guide to Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control (PDF) is an easy-to-use reference to educate concerned citizens and local officials.

OEC Wins Settlement with US Department of Justices

Sometimes a lawsuit is necessary to move Ohio water policy into the 21st century. That’s why the OEC, with co-plaintiffs the National Wildlife Federation and the League of Ohio Sportsmen, filed a Clean Water Act lawsuit to enforce the “TMDL” provisions that require watershed restoration plans for all rivers that don’t meet the minimum standards for fishable and swimmable waters. See our press release (PDF) and settlement (PDF) with the US Department of Justice, USEPA, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, and Ohio EPA that requires cleanup plans for 50 watersheds by 2008.

OEC’s Citizen’s Guide to 401’s Available

Sections 404 and 401 of the Clean Water Act govern the filling of wetlands. For tips on how to participate in the permitting process and information on what the regulations require the Ohio EPA to consider, take a look at our Citizen’s Guide to 401’s. (PDF)

Water Quality Standards—OEC Technical Comments

The Ohio EPA is responsible for carrying out the Clean Water Act’s water quality standards—so the OEC keeps a close eye on their rulemakings. We’ve made comments on use designations (link-- Jason, I’ll have to get this from Dan Binder next week. --Keith) that establish the goals for Ohio’s rivers like “exceptional warm water habitat”. We submitted comments on Ohio’s Integrated Water Quality Report (PDF) that identifies which waters are in non-attainment. We also were key watchdogs on their rulemaking on “antidegradation”, leading to citizen-friendly fact sheets like this example. (PDF)

OEC Calls for Green Infrastructure to Fix Sewer Overflows

Many cities in Ohio face the challenge of fixing “combined sewer overflows” caused by old sewer systems that release untreated sewage when it rains. When the City of Columbus was considering a bond issue to fix sewer overflows to public comment, the OEC called for green infrastructure (PDF) that doesn’t sacrifice urban streams in order to handle stormwater.

OEC De-Mystifies Clean Water Act Citizen Suits

We know that many concerned citizens have shied away from enforcing the Clean Water Act because it can be imposing. So we wrote the Citizen’s Guide to Clean Water Act Citizen Suits (PDF) to explain the law and the avenues available to those concerned with our valuable water resources.