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Rivers UnlimitedFounded in 1972 |
515 Wyoming Ave |
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Water PollutionIn late 1993 Ohio EPA asked us to be part of an Antidegradation External Advisory Work Group to refine a rule to administer Section 6111.12 of the Ohio Revised Code. We disagreed with the work product, organized and led a nine-group coalition to claim in court that it violated the Clean Water Act, and brought about a decision requiring water pollution permits to have public hearings and antidegradation reviews for any perceptible change in water quality. We completed work in 2000 as members of the Ohio EPA Antidegradation External Advisory Group. Because of OEPA's continued failure to enforce water pollution laws and Ohio's passage of a pollution secrecy law, we joined three other environmental groups in a petition process to have USEPA revoke Ohio's authority to administer the Clean Water Act and take over the program. We participated in a citizen hearing on the failure of Ohio EPA to enforce the law and the difficulty citizens have getting information about pollution. We continued to research Ohio's failure to enforce the Clean Water Act, provided additional information to USEPA, met with numerous USEPA staff and Regional Administrator twice in Chicago, amended the petition repeatedly and provided information to the media. As a direct result of our work and that of our partners in the petition process, when Ohio's former EPA director was nominated to head USEPA's environmental enforcement, that nomination was defeated. The nomination process and the immense pressure we were able to build by enlisting 22 other environmental groups and national media attention, and senatorial questions, forced USEPA to release the petition report. The report threatens withdrawal of Ohio's programs unless substantial changes are made. Significant improvements must be made to Ohio's enforcement of the Clean Water Act because of the petition. We have persistently challenged OEPA pollution permitting because of its failure to consider the incremental costs of polluting receiving waters. These costs include reduced values of fishing, property, tourism, public image, quality of life, recreation etc. and possible increased costs of water treatment. In 1998, OEPA in response hired Ohio State University Resource Economists to investigate improved means for determining the social and economic justification for granting or denying permits. We believe we are first in the nation in attempting, in the public interest, to bring benefit/cost into this decision making. See link : Water Quality Economics. |