IAPE and OEFFA put on the program "Risks of oil and gas pipelines weighed in local forum" in Athens

[greatlaurel]

The next speaker was Nathan Johnson, an attorney for the Ohio Environmental Council. Johnson discussed the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's (OEPA) proposal to eliminate state review of oil and gas pipelines and surface coalmines that pose a hazard to the state's waterways. This means that these pipelines and surface mines would be approved under nationwide permits without a state water quality review. This ruling would also eliminate the requirement of public notice and comment on these projects.

Johnson concluded that the OEPA is "basically abandoning the field" with this proposal, which would result in serious irreversible water quality impacts statewide.

"The final speaker was Michael Hollingsworth, an attorney....Hollingsworth also discussed the Ohio Constitution's Chapter 163, which states that a company organized to transport natural gas materials through tubing, pipes or conduits may enter private land to examine it for possible pipeline use, and then appropriate as much land as necessary. He said that many people believe that it's unconstitutional for the companies to take this land, but it's only unconstitutional when the state doesn't provide options for appealing these appropriations, which would amount to denial of due-process rights."

http://www.athensnews.com/ohio/article-43771-risks-of-oil-and-gas-pipelines-weighed-in-local-forum.html

Another forum will be put on at a later date.

[A Little Weird]

1. Wow

That's terrible - why even have a state environmental protection agency if they won't review these kinds of projects? I hope they will rethink this.

Thanks for posting - this would probably be good to cross post over in the Ohio group too.

[greatlaurel]

2. The Kasich administration is determined to gut the OhioEPA as a personal favor to Bob Murray.

The Koch's and ALEC have spent a lot of money buying the GOP here in Ohio. It is paying off handsomely for them. The OhioEPA has been completely hamstrung. The state legislature and Kasich have gutted the renewable energy sector here in Ohio. It was growing by leaps and bounds and providing lots of good paying jobs. The GOP just could not let that happen. The ALEC written bill to gut the renewables law passed during the Strickland administration was quickly passed and signed by Kasich before the election. The right wing owned news media did not say anything about it. The state Democratic Party did not make it an issue in the campaign this fall, foolishly.

[awoke_in_2003]

3. I have dreams of returning to Ohio...

for retirement. I wonder if there will be anything left by then.