OEC testifies on Proposed Budget Bills

June 3: Press Release - Ohio Senate Can Add Even More Green Arrows to Budget Quiver 

Updated May 31: Testimony here on changes to the House proposed bill.

Updated May 23: Testimony here on the OEC's requests regarding the Clean Ohio Fund, oil & gas industry oversight, Healthy Lake Erie Fund, and more. 

Updated April 12: Testimony here on Natural Resources & Environmental Protection Budgets

Land & Water Management: While the Governor's budget proposes growth for the budgets of several individual divisions and programs within the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, other important programs and divisions are slated for substantial cuts. Read more here, here, and here. 

Oil, Gas & Coal Extraction. While much of the debate in Ohio has been on Oil and Natural Gas extraction, there is still coal being mined in much of eastern Ohio. The legacy of unregulated impacts from coal mining can still be witnessed in the land and water resources of that region. Read more.

Transportation: Ohio Environmental Council joins a coalition of partners calling on Ohio lawmakers to fund affordable, accessible, and environmentally-friendly transportation options in Ohio. Read more.

FIGHT OVER CLEAN ENERGY HEATING UP

State Senator Bill Seitz, who is the Chairman of the Ohio Senate Public Utilities Committee, is aggressively conducting a full "review" (Ohio Senate Bill 58) of both the renewable prtfolio standard and energy efficiency standard.

While no policy changes are yet proposed, the Ohio Environmental Council is very concerned that this review will result in a weakening of the standards, which will inhibit renewable energy development and investments in energy efficiency.

Here is OEC's testimony that was submitted for the April 9 hearing - the first hearing on SB 58 - that allowed for public testimony on the value of Ohio's efficiency standard. Here is the April 23 testimony. Read more.