This document discusses the Ohio Environmental Council's analysis of the new state budget, highlighting key areas of environmental spending and initiatives. It outlines successes, such as funding for the Clean Ohio Fund and Lake Erie clean-up, alongside failures including cutbacks in public transit funding and setbacks in clean energy efforts. The council emphasizes its role in advocating for a healthier and more sustainable Ohio while detailing specific legislative amendments and outcomes regarding environmental policies.

1. Unpacking the Green (+ Not
So Green) new Ohio Budget
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2. Jack
Shaner
Deputy
Director
Melanie
Houston
Director of
Water Policy +
Environmental
Health
Kristen
Kubitza
Director of
Water Policy +
Outreach
Unpacking the Green (+ Not
So Green) new Ohio Budget
Trent Dougherty
Managing
Director of
Legal Affairs
Joe Logan
Director of
Agricultural
Programs

3. 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.

4. THE BUDGET “BOX SCORE”
1. Clean Ohio Fund – GRAND SLAM
2. Lake Erie + Grand Lake St. Marys toxic algae clean up –
BASES-CLEARING TRIPLE
3. ―Tread + Mow on Me‖ Amendment – CAUGHT STEALING
4. Oil+Gas Division funding+―Dump+Glow‖+―Brine Discharge
Amnesty‖ Amendments – BUNT+BIG ERROR+WILD PITCH
5. Coal mining regulation + miner safety – BALK
6. Ohio EPA emergency response – STIKE OUT
7. Public transit + freight rail development – STIKE OUT +
WALK + FOUL BALL CAUGHT IN FOUL TERRITORY
8. Green chemistry – THROWN OUT AT THE PLATE
9. Public records – SINGLE UP THE MIDDLE
10. Clean energy – EJECTED FROM THE GAME

5. 1. Clean Ohio Fund – GRAND SLAM
 Objective: Get full $52MM.
Result: House + Senate
added $26MM each –
BASES LOADED HOME
RUN BY LAWMAKERS
 House plan to share state
park drilling $ - OUT
 House plan for Clean Ohio +
brownfield funding study
commission – OUT
Lawmakers got ‗er done,
polishing off the final $52MM
in voter-approved bonding.

6. 2. Lake Erie + Inland Lake Clean Up –
BASES-CLEARING TRIPLE
 Challenge: reduce nutrient loadings to
stop harmful algal blooms - harmful to
people, pets, sport fishing, tourism
 Solution: ID nutrient sources + apply
clean-up ―prescriptions‖
 Actions taken:
 House established Lake Facilities Authority
to fund local lake clean up
 House added $570k for Ohio Sea Grant +
$500k for Heidelberg U. Water Quality Lab
 Senate added $600,000 to Healthy Lake
Erie fund for stepped-up water monitoring
 Kasich Administration + G.A.
making solid progress on their
pledge to stop toxic algae

7. 3. “Tread + Mow on Me Amendment” –
CAUGHT STEALING
 Would have: Let private
property owners mow
grass + vegetation in city-
owned buffer strip along
reservoir or protected
streams
 Undercut efforts to
protect drinking water
reservoirs + targeted
headwater streams from
runoff + soil erosion
 Wasted ratepayer dollars
Public Reservoir + Water Quality Protection
VETOED BY GOVERNOR
KASICH
*Photo Courtesy Columbus Public Utilities

8. 4. Oil+Gas Oversight Funding + Radioactive Waste and
Brine Disposal: Bunt + Big Error + Wild Pitch
 ODNR Division of Oil + Gas budget doubled
 General Assembly adopted Gov.’s proposal for
disposal of radioactive waste in solid-waste landfills
 Narrow definition of TENORM will exempt bulk of radioactive-laced
wastes—especially drill cuttings—from testing for regulatory threshold
 USEPA, National Academy of Sciences, American National Standards
Institute all recognize drill cuttings as TENORM
 Ohio following Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, which
recognizes drilling muds, sludge, waste water, filters, etc., as TENORM but
exempts drill cuttings (+brine) the largest + most radioactive of drilling
wastes. Also mixing or ―down-blending‖ of waste to dilute radioactivity.
“Brine Discharge Amnesty” Amendment allows certain
waste treatment operators to evade permitting

9. 5. Coal Mining Regulation + Miner Safety
BALK
 House + Senate adopted Gov.‘s proposal for $2.5MM/FY in
GRF for combined regulatory oversight + miner safety
 Mine safety previously was funded at $3M/year; now must
share less funds with the Coal Regulatory program
 Potential threat to environment + miner safety
 Also puts more burden on taxpayers, instead of industry
Gov. Taft shifted Ohio EPA off of GRF. Industry
fees + Feds fund regulatory oversight for
most industries. Gov. Kasich should follow
suit, make coal industry pay its own way.

10. 6. Ohio EPA Emergency Response
STRIKE OUT
The Ohio EPA‘s Emergency
Response Program and its 15 staff
are on call 24/7/365 to respond,
contain + investigate releases +
spills to the environment.
Yet their vehicles have no legal
authority to use sirens or lights!
This can slow the response and put
OEPA emergency responders in
harm‘s way.
The solution: Amend ORC 4511.01(E) to
define Ohio EPA Emergency Response
vehicles ―public safety vehicles‖

11. 7. Public Transit + Freight Rail Development STRIKE OUT
+ WALK + FOUL BALL CAUGHT IN FOUL TERRITORY
 3 “pitches” by OEC:
 Boost funding for public transit + Ohio Rail
Development Commission
 Require ODOT to survey local transit agencies
+ MPOs for future operational + capital
costs/benefits
 Reject Senate ―Beavercreek Amendment‖ to
require transit agency to get permission of
local city before expanding service
RESULT:
 STRIKE OUT: No change in funding - public
transportation + freight rail stuck at $7.3M/FY
+ $2M/FY, respectively
 WALK: ODOT updating Ohio‘s long-range
transportation plan, Access Ohio 2040
 FOUL BALL CAUGHT IN FOUL TERRITORY:
Gov. Kasich VETOED ―Beavercreek Amendment‖

12. 8. Green Chemistry
THROWN OUT AT THE PLATE
 Senate earmarked $500,000 for
BioOhio to fund the Bioscience
Workforce Development
Initiative
 Bioscience includes
engineering products
without toxic byproducts,
such as making plastic from
crops instead of oil
Gov. Kasich VETOED
this earmark

13. 9. Public Records
SINGLE UP THE MIDDLE
 Ohio Senate added provision to
require the Ohio Department of
Administrative Services to develop
and propose standards for the posting
of a public record on an agency
website by a public office so that the
information may be secured and
downloaded in a uniform manner
 Public needs ability to easily access
public records to help hold agencies
accountable for enforcing the law

14. 10. Clean Energy
EJECTED FROM THE GAME
 Senate considered, but did
not include, an amendment to
let utilities ask the PUCO for
permission to change an
already approved energy-
efficiency plan
OEC + partners continue to
work to repel any
weakening of Ohio‘s energy
efficiency or renewable
energy standards

15. July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2015
Going forward:
- OEC will watchdog program
implementation
- OEC will be engaged in rule
making
To learn more:
- www.theOEC.org
- OEC testimony
- OEC veto requests
- OEC action alerts

16. Q & A - Feedback