 
OEC in the News
The OEC wants you, the public, to know more about the state of your air, land and water resources. That’s why we are in frequent contact with the news media.
- Read current press releases
- See media coverage of OEC & environmental issues
- Reporters: Contact an environmental expert
OEC calls on Columbus City Council to clear the air
The Ohio Enviornmental Council called on Columbus City Council to adopt a fuel conservation ordinance to limit the needless idling of buses, trucks, and cars. The OEC estimate the proposal can conserve the use of 21 million gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel, reducing air emissions by several tons and save Franklin County motorists $48 million in fuel costs.
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PUCO approves controversial biomass project
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio today approved renewable energy certification of FirstEnergy's controversial proposal to convert a coal-burning power plant to biomass fuel. The action sets the stage for Ohio to be home to one of the largest biomass facilities in the world.
Will Reisinger, staff attorney for the Ohio Environmental Council and lead counsel on the case, said that the decision could harm both Ohio's environment and its fledgling renewable energy economy.
"With this decision, the Commission completely ignored Ohio law, which requires utilities to show that their biomass fuel will be 'available on a renewable basis' before receiving renewable certification. Despite repeated discovery requests for more information, FirstEnergy has stonewalled and refused to provide any information about the source of its biomass material," said Reisinger.
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Cleveland on Front Lines of Sewage Crisis, According to New Report
Environmental, elected officials, business leaders, sewer district leaders, and civic leaders gathered in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood on August 9 to urge federal public officials to do more to tackle a sewage crisis that is dumping billions of gallons of untreated sewage into the Great Lakes every year.
Cleveland is one of five Midwestern cities profiled in a new report that examines what can be done to curb sewage overflows, including the use of "green infrastructure" to safeguard public health and create jobs-while protecting Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes.
The report looks at the potential to create jobs and generate economic benefit from investments in wastewater infrastructure and asks: "Is the federal government doing enough to prevent sewage from fouling our waters and Great Lakes?" The report is available at www.healthylakes.org.
Gulf Coast Oil or North Coast Bacteria - Swimmers Beware!
Pollution continues to contaminate the water at America's beaches, causing 783 closing or advisory days in Ohio last year and 18,682 nationwide. Meanwhile, as of July 23 the oil disaster had already led to 1,755 days of beach closing, advisories, and notices in the Gulf region this year, according to the 20th annual beachwater quality report released today by the Natural Resources Defense Council.
July 14 & 15: Whistle Stop Tour along the
"3C + D" Corridor
On July 14 and 15, the OEC and other rail proponents will host another whistle stop tour along the 3C+D rail corridor with Patricia Quinn, Executive Director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority.
"Whistle stop" public forums and meetings are being hosted by local business and/or government leaders in Columbus, Delaware, Springfield, Dayton, Sharonville, and Cincinnati.
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Parsons-Livingston project misses opportunity to use green construction equipment
While President Obama and local community leaders celebrate a major new road poject next to Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, an environmental group is charging that government leaders are missing a golden opportunity to help public health by failing to require the use of low-emiision, "green" construction equipment at the construction site."
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Anglers and conservationists call for the state to stop the Bayshore coal plant from killing billions of fish in Maumee Bay each year
A group of anglers and conservationists are calling on the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and Ohio Department of Natural Resources to require FirstEnergy, one of the nation's largest electric companies, to install modern cooling towers and to regulate the facility as any angler or commercial fisherman who exceeds their daily catch limit.
The Western Lake Erie WATERKEEPER Association, Lake Erie Charter Boat Association, Ohio Environmental Council, and Natural Resources Defense Council have joined together to call on the state to require FirstEnergy to:
- dramatically reduce the number of fish killed each year at its Bayshore Power Plant, located at the mouth of the Maumee River and Maumee Bay near Toledo, Ohio; and
- compensate the citizens of Ohio for every fish killed over the legally allowed amount, just like a polluter would have to pay for a massive fish kill or a sport angler or commercial fisherman would have to pay for exceeding their daily catch limit.
Ohioans send message to Congress on Great Lakes Day
Earlier this year, more than 100 Healing Our Waters - Great Lakes Coalition members, including more than 20 Ohioans, descended on Capital Hill in Washington, D.C., urging Ohio's congressional members to help protect and restore Lake Erie.
The clean water advocates are calling on Congress to take three specific actions to protect and restore Ohio's Great Lake.
Ohio Consumers could save $482 Per Year if Energy Efficiency Policies are Included in Climate and Energy Bill
—A new report finds that Ohio families will continue to spend an extra $482 per year on their home energy bills if strong energy efficiency policies are not incorporated into the climate and energy legislation pending before Congress.
“Consumers are letting hundreds of dollars a year slip through their fingers – money they can hardly afford to waste,” said Nolan Moser, OEC’s Clean Air and Energy Program director. “We hope Senators Voinovich and Brown will recognize the clear evidence that common-sense energy efficiency policies can give our state’s families relief from needlessly high gas and electric bills.”
OEC calls for standards for outdoor wood-fired boilers
The OEC, along with the American Lung Association (ALA) in Ohio, is calling on the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to establish standards to control dangerous air emissions from wood-fired boilers to protect Ohioans' health.
One couple in Parkman contribute their breathing ailments to a neighbor's boiler.
"Outdoor wood-fired boilers are like having a diesel truck idling next to your house, pelting your windows with soot and ash" states David R. Celebrezze, the OEC's Director of Air & Water Special Projects.
Ohio wins $400 million for 3C passenger rail
The Ohio Environmental Council is hailing today’s announcement that the federal government will award $400 million to Ohio to revive passenger train service along Ohio’s 3C corridor, connecting Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati.
"This train will do more than connect the 3Cs and Dayton,” said Jack Shaner, Deputy Director for the Ohio Environmental Council. "Thanks to Gov. Strickland, Ohio is now on track for future high-speed rail service. Today, 30 years of study ends and action begins."
OEC joins group trying to stem the decline of public transit
The Ohio Environmental Council has joined organizations throughout the state to form "Save Transit Now, Move Ohio Forward." This group, which includes transportation, public-policy, social-service and environmental organizations, will champion the importance of public transportation, especially city bus systems, to the state's work force, environment and economy, as well as call on the state legislature to find funding to protect service.
Read more:
OEC hails AMP decision to halt dirty coal plant
November 25 - Decision belies myth that dirty power is cheap power
The Ohio Environmental Council is hailing the announcement today by American Municipal Power-Ohio (AMP-Ohio) that it has cancelled plans to construct a proposed 1,000-megawatt coal-fired power plant on the Ohio River in Meigs County.
Ever-growing costs doomed the plant, as cost projections grew from $2.5 billion just two years ago to close to $4 billion, today.
Ohio’s U.S. Senators, Representative Help Secure $475 Million to Advance Great Lakes Restoration
October 30 - President Obama has signed into law a bill that nearly doubles the funding to restore Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes, following a vote by the U.S. Congress today.
Senators Brown and Voinovich, and Representatives Boccieri, Fudge, Kaptur, Kucinich, LaTourette, Ryan, Sutton, and Wilson were especially helpful in getting the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative fully funded at $475 million. President Obama proposed the Initiative in his inaugural budget in the spring.
OEC urges NO vote on State Issue 2
October 28 - The Ohio Environmental Council today announced its opposition to State Issue 2, a wide-ranging proposal to amend the Ohio Constitution in the name of "safe and affordable" food to establish livestock and poultry confinement standards.
The OEC opposes Issue 2 because it believes that the proposed language and its invoking of "affordable food supplies" can be distorted to discourage the adoption of stronger environmental standards at animal feeding facilities and can thwart the disclosure of the presence of antibiotics or hormones in food on product labels. The OEC also concludes that Issue 2 is poor public policy, is weak on enforcement, and will place a potential strain on the state budget.
Read more to be an informed voter:
Ohio Attorney General appeals Lake Erie decision
October 7 - The continuing battle over ownership of Ohio’s Lake Erie shore is headed to the state’s top court. And leading the way is the state’s top attorney—Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray. The OEC, the National Wildlife Federation, and the League of Ohio Sportsmen filed a separate but parallel appeal today.
Great Lakes Shipping Industry Trying to Evade Clean Air Rule
October 14 - The Great Lakes Shipping Association is working to get a rider attached to the Federal Interior Appropriations bill that would exempt them from a proposed U.S. EPA rule to clean up dirty ocean-going vessels
Such an exemption would not only continue to expose people living near the Great Lakes to deadly diesel pollution, but could also unravel an international agreement and put people in other coastal states at risk, including CA, LA, TX, NY, NJ, FL, NC, MD, PA, CT, MA, ME, RI and more...
People are at risk due to the high levels of pollution emitted from ocean-going ships (25% of diesel particle matter (PM), increasing to 75% by 2030), and the distance this PM can travel (hundreds of miles).
If implemented as planned, the EPA rule is expected to save up to 32,000 lives/yr in 2030, even more than other recent EPA diesel rules.
The cost of meeting the rule are minimal - a few cents per gallon of fuel. But the benefits are significant - every dollar invested in cleaner ships will yield more than $30 in health benefits, according to EPA.
Please act today as the conference committee considering the Interior Appropriations Bill is trying to tie this up by the end of the week.
Read:
You can help!
Call Senator Brown and Senator Voinovich now to urge them to oppose any rider in the Interior Appropriations Bill that would exempt the Great Lakes shipping from air pollution regulations.
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Senator Brown: (202) 224-2315
- Senator Voinovich: (800) 205-6446
Ohio Attorney General appeals Lake Erie decision
October 7 - The continuing battle over ownership of Ohio’s Lake Erie shore is headed to the state’s top court. And leading the way is the state’s top attorney—Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray. The OEC, the National Wildlife Federation, and the League of Ohio Sportsmen filed a separate but parallel appeal today.
Law Center Argues Against One-Hour Time Limit for Environmental Court Cases
September 20 - The OEC's Ohio Environmental Law Center (OELC), along with the Natural Resources Defense Council, the National Parks Conservation Association, Sierra Club, and SunCoke Watch, filed a petition for a writ of mandamus in Ohio’s Tenth District Court of Appeals.
The petition seeks to compel the Environmental Review Appeals Commission (ERAC) to set a hearing schedule that would give the parties a fair chance to argue their cases. As a result of the passage of Ohio House Bill 1, ERAC imposed a one-hour time limit for argument in over 300 pending cases, including several brought by the OELC.
Press Conference: Momentous Week for Ohio's 3C Passenger Rail Plan
On Monday, September 14, the Ohio Environmental Council held a press conference at 11:00 a.m. at the Ohio Statehouse to kick off a week of activities to showcase how the "3C Plan" will deliver convenience, conservation and commerce to Buckeye State.
Ohio Attorney General's independence challenged by activist appeals court legislating from the bench
September 8 - Recent Ohio appeals court ruling on Lake Erie shore poses potential threat to defense of all public protection laws, not just to Ohio’s "North Coast." Reporters are invited to join this special press event/teleconference to learn more about this "activist, legislating from the bench" court decision and its far-reaching implications.
Breakfast Forum: Clean Water, Job Growth & a Stronger Cleveland Economy
August 3 - As Congress prepares to vote on legislation that could provide up to $475 million in funding for Great Lakes restoration, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and Brookings Institution economist John Austin joined Cleveland business and environmental leaders today to outline how funding Great Lakes restoration will promote economic recovery and development.
The August 3 breakfast forum was hosted by the Healing Our Waters®-Great Lakes Coalition and the Ohio Environmental Council, a steering committee member of the Coalition, and the Great Lakes Science Center.
Additional information:
Annual Vacation Beach Water Quality Report Documents Ohio Beach Health Advisories
July 28 - Are Ohioans swimming in sewage or other dangerous pollution? Find out how clean your favorite beach is when Environment Ohio and the Ohio Environmental Council release "Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches," the 19th annual Natural Resources Defense Council report on beach closings and beachwater monitoring programs.
From the Report:
OEC joins statewide alliance concerned about lax regulation of factory farms
July 26 - The Ohio Environmental Stewardship Alliance represents citizens groups from across Ohio, concerned about lax regulation of factory farms. The group will focus on the environmental impacts of factory farms and advocates for stronger oversight.
Ohio's New Budget Retains Some, but Not All Environmental Protections
On July 13, the Ohio General Assembly reached an agreement on a state budget after a two-week delay. For environmental-conservation issues, the final budget includes:
- the elimination of the proposal to drill for oil and gas in state parks
- the preservation of the Ohio Scenic Rivers program
- the elimination of funding for the Ohio Department of Natural Resource's efforts to preserve of natural areas and reserves and for the division of geological survey
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