1. Environmental Lobby Day:
Know the Issues
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2. Ohio Environmental Council
The OEC is Ohio’s most comprehensive, effective and respected
environmental advocate for a healthier, more sustainable Ohio.
Our experts work daily to restore, protect, and strengthen the
quality of life for families and communities—from the air we
breathe and the water we drink to the food we eat and natural
resources we enjoy.
Please join us! OEC members:
 Receive great benefits
 Become part of the community working to restore, protect, and
strengthen the quality of life for families and communities in
Ohio.
Become a member today at www.theOEC.org.

3. The following is an overview of Ohio’s
current clean energy law (SB 221), about
the energy market in the state, and about
SB 58, which aims to gut Ohio’s current
energy efficiency and renewable resources
standards.
SB 58: The Fight for Ohio’s
Clean Energy Future
Katy Shanahan, Clean Energy Campaigns Associate

4. Clean Energy
Coal (77.87%)
Nuclear (11%)
Natural Gas (9%)
Where Does Ohio Get Its Energy?

5. Clean Energy
 Increase diversity in electricity portfolio (RE)
 Hedge against anticipated energy price increases
(EE)
 Create Jobs
 Save energy & save consumers money
Why Clean Energy Standards?

6. Clean Energy
 Jobs created
 Burgeoning energy
market
 Utility costs
decreased
 Cleaner
environment
Positive Impacts of SB 221

7. Clean Energy
SB 58 would gut Ohio’s current energy efficiency and
renewable resources standards.
Economic and environmental effects
• Utility costs
• Jobs and economic competiveness decrease
• Detriment to environment
What is SB 58?

8. Recommendation for OGA
The Ask: Reject SB 58 and its companion bill HB 302 in their
entirety as they are currently written.
During the last six years Ohio has made great strides in
becoming a cleaner and healthier environment in which to
live and removing our current energy efficiency and
renewable resources standards would be detrimental to the
progress the state has made.

9. Orphan Well Plugging and
Geological Survey
Jack Shaner, OEC Deputy Director
Oil and gas extraction (“fracking”) poses many risks to
the environment. Two easy but critical steps that
lawmakers should take right away are to:
• Speed up the plugging of old, abandoned
“orphan” oil + gas wells
• StEp up the geological survey of underground
water sources and fault lines before approving new
oil + gas wells

10. Orphan Well Plugging
 Thousands of old, improperly abandoned “orphan” oil and
gas wells dot Ohio’s landscape.
 Pose a number of threats to the
environment.
 Good news: Additional $1M to ODNR’s
Orphan Well Plugging Program.
 More good news: The Ohio House of
Representatives proposed additional
$3M for the program.

11. Orphan Well Plugging
 Need more than funding.
Since 1977, the ODNR
has plugged 1,000 wells
 Establish an Orphan Well
Fund -- a "lockbox" that can
only be used for plugging
orphan wells
 Require the ODNR to
perform an inventory of
orphan wells including the
identification of any
remaining responsible
parties than can pay for the
plugging of any wells that
they abandoned.

12. Geological Survey
Why it matters:
 Scientists have confirmed
earthquakes from oil+gas
waste-water injection wells, but
never from production wells.
 The Ohio House has proposed
$3M per fiscal year for ODNR
Geological Survey.
 The OEC is calling on
lawmakers to immediately
increase current funding by
$1M.

13. Recommendation for OGA
The Ask: Reduce the risk of environmental impacts
from past, present, and future oil + gas extraction
(“fracking”) by:
A. Speeding up the efficient plugging of old,
abandoned orphan wells
B. Stepping up pre-drilling geological surveys for new
wells

14. Nutrient Pollution & Manure
Kristen Kubitza, Director of Water Policy & Outreach
• Environmental Impacts
• Public Health Impacts
• Recreation Impacts
• Economic Costs
Nutrient Pollution In Ohio’s
Waterways

15. Nutrient Pollution & Manure
Lake Erie, Grand Lake St. Mary’s,
and beyond
Akron
Lima
Findlay
Clarmont Co.

16. Nutrient Pollution & Manure
Sources of Nutrient Pollution
 Waste Water Treatment Plants
 Urban Stormwater Runoff
 Open Lake Disposal of Dredged
Material
 Agricultural Commercial Fertilizer
 Agricultural Manure

17. Nutrient Pollution & Manure
Why Manure?
“Agricultural operations are a major source
of phosphorus loadings into Lake Erie.
These loadings result primarily from
fertilizer application and manure. The bulk
of this input occurs during spring snowmelt
and heavy rainstorms, when significant
amounts of phosphorus can be transported
by runoff water.”
IJC, 2014

18. Recommendation for OGA
The Ask: Urge the Ohio General Assembly to pass
legislation that ban’s the application of manure on
frozen or snow covered ground.

19. Clean Ohio Fund
Jack Shaner, Deputy Director
Imagine a fund that can:
• Conserve beautiful open space, ecologically sensitive
areas + stream corridors
• Preserve family farmland
• Build bicycle and walking trails
• Clean up and revitalize old industrial sites
Imagine no more! It’s called the Clean Ohio Fund.

20. Clean Ohio Fund: 4 great programs
The Clean Ohio Fund is a state matching fund for land
and water conservation projects. The Fund restores,
protects, and connects Ohio's important natural and
urban places by:
 Conserving green space + stream corridors
 Preserving family farmland
 Building recreational trails
 Cleaning up old industrial brownfields

21. Clean Ohio Fund: a proven success
Some government programs only promise results.
The Clean Ohio fund actually delivers results.
Since the voters first approved it in 2000, the Clean
Ohio Fund has:
 Conserved more than 26,000 acres of open space
 Preserved 40,000 acres of prime farmland
 Built more than 200 miles of family-friendly trails
 Cleaned up 400 old industrial sites
 Benefited all Ohio with projects in all 88 counties

22. Clean Ohio Fund: a positive ROI
The Clean Ohio Fund is not only good for Mother
Nature. It’s also good for jobs and the economy.
 $800M in Clean Ohio investment has leveraged an
additional $2.6B in total economic impact
 Clean Ohio Fund bonds do not raise taxes. Each
$25M in bonds requires only $2.3M in debt service.
 The Clean Ohio Fund is helping build a cleaner,
greener, more sustainable Ohio – helping make Ohio
a more attractive place to start a business, grow a
family, and enjoy the great outdoors.

23. Recommendation for the OGA
Governor John Kasich has just proposed $100M in
Clean Ohio Funds over the next 2 years – the
maximum amount allowed by Ohio law!
The Ask: Please support Gov. Kasich’s proposal in the
Capital Budget Bill (HB 497) to invest $100M in the
Clean Ohio Fund:
 $75M for conserving green space
 $12.5M for preserving family farmland
 $12.5M for building recreational trails

24. Lobbying Tips
Tips for effective lobbying.
1) Remember lawmakers
are human beings
2) Be on time
3) Press for commitment
4) Be a good listener
5) Say thank you
Brian Kaiser, Director of Green Jobs & Innovation
OEC’s Advocacy toolkit:
www.theOEC.org

25. Q & A - Feedback
 Questions?
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