Latest news with #OhioEPA
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
How to submit a public comment on Ohio's E-Check Ease Act
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WJW) — A plan to make Ohio's biannual vehicle emissions testing easier will soon go before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval, and state regulators want to hear from Ohio drivers. The E-Check Ease Act, introduced by state Reps. Bill Roemer (R-Richfield) and Steve Demetriou (R-Bainbridge Township), was incorporated into the state's biennial transportation budget bill signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine at the end of March. PHOTOS: Truck goes off road, US 422 ramp closed Under Ohio's E-Check program, residents in seven counties — Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit — who own cars that are between 4 and 25 years old are required to have their emissions inspected every two years. A passing inspection is required for vehicle registration in those seven counties. The proposed change would expand the exemption for newer cars from four years old to six years old. Hybrid vehicles that are seven years old or newer would also be exempt. The bill also allows vehicle owners to forego inspections entirely and obtain an 'alternative emissions certificate' from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, attesting that their car meets state emissions laws 'to the best of their knowledge.' That attestation could be rejected if the EPA determines it was falsified or if the driver was cited in the past two years for excessive exhaust or a noisy muffler, or if their vehicle was in a collision in the prior two years which caused 'substantial' internal damage. Rejected owners would then have to get the car inspected. The Ohio EPA is required to submit the new certification process to the U.S. EPA, which must decide whether it complies with the federal Clean Air Act before it can move ahead. If approved, the Ohio EPA would then implement the state-level changes. The public comment period for the bill opened earlier this month and runs through June 2. Public comments can be emailed to DAPC-Comments@ through then. The Ohio EPA is then expected to respond to the public comments and submit the changes to the U.S. EPA. 'For 30 years, Northeast Ohio has been unfairly burdened by E-Check,' Roemer is quoted in a Wednesday news release. 'It is far past time to address this problem, and I encourage citizens to reach out to eviscerate this burden.' Bond set at $2 million as Aliza Sherman's alleged killer appears in court: I-Team State Rep. Sean Brennan (D-Parma) in a Wednesday news release said the E-Check program 'may have been well-intentioned' when it was created in 1996, but there's no evidence it has actually reduced vehicle emissions since then. He said drivers actually burn about 600,000 gallons of gas per year just to comply with the mandate. 'The $11 million the state spends would be better spent on conservation education and public transit,' he is quoted in the release. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Oil spill cleanup underway at Quarry Trail park
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Visitors to Quarry Trails Metro Park on Mother's Day noticed an oily substance in the water and were greeted with signs that read 'no fishing' and 'stay out of water.' Sunday's weather was some of the nicest in central Ohio so far in 2025, and it was the Metro Park's busiest day of the year. Ohio State women's basketball coach charged with OVI Jill Snyder, visitor engagement manager with Metro Parks, said the ranger who opened the park Sunday noticed a 'black substance' in the water near Millikin Falls. She said park management contacted the Ohio EPA and followed spill protocols immediately. 'The goal was that we didn't want it to go farther,' Snyder said. 'Here at Quarry Trails, we are near, this is Millikan Falls behind me, and Millikan Ditch goes into the Scioto River, and so, we wanted to keep it out of the river as much as possible.' That protocol involved contacting the City of Columbus, which then investigates the nature of the spill and where it could have possibly originated. 'They found a spot where they think that someone dumped some used motor oil into a storm drain, and that's what washed downstream,' Snyder said. 'Given how far it spread and how much there was, it could be around 30 gallons of oil.' OSU looking for those with early Alzheimer's to participate in study Waddles – long snake-like tubes used to soak up oil and other substances in the water — were then placed in several locations along the stream, including at the bottom of Millikin Falls and subsequently in the stream before it pours into the ponds at Quarry Trails. Until it is clear, the park is asking that no one get into the water for any activities or to fish in the water. 'We definitely put up a lot of signs in hopes that people do the right thing,' Snyder said. 'We had a lot of rangers here, and part of it is just to educate, because most of the time when you see a sign, you don't know, why not? We've got no paddling and no fishing in a few spots and some of that is just to kind of keep it contained until we get it all cleaned up. Nobody wants to be catching a fish or doing anything like that and running into oil, and the biggest challenge is really to the wildlife.' Oil spills in water can cause acute toxicity in fish and eggs along with growth defects if exposed for a period of time. Snyder wants to use this as an educational opportunity to show what can happen if chemicals and toxic substances aren't disposed of properly. Program gives Columbus police recruits exposure to community 'People don't understand that those storm drains and what we often call the gutter or the sewer in our neighborhoods, those don't go somewhere to get cleaned up. They come right here,' she said. According to the EPA, negligent dumping of materials like oil into waterways can lead to Federal crimes resulting in a minimum fine of $2,500. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Road work to close part of busy road for 2 weeks in Huber Heights
Part of a busy road will be closed in Huber Heights starting later this week. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Huber Heights Engineering Department said that part of Rip Rap Road along the Great Miami River will be closed starting Wednesday, according to a social media post. It is near the existing flood gates. The road closure is scheduled for May 7- May 21. TRENDING STORIES: School district pays tribute to co-worker killed in I-75 weekend crash Multiple people injured after mass shooting at Arizona business Deputy hit, killed by vehicle identified; Flags to be lowered in his honor 'The road will be closed to install temporary piping across the road in order to perform an Ohio EPA water test on a new well being installed at the City's wellfield,' Huber Heights Police said on its Facebook page. Drivers will be detoured to Chambersburg and Bridgewater Roads. The city that Rip Rap Road could be reopened sooner if the test and cleanup are finished before the scheduled time. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Program for Ohio's water health could face dramatic cut in funding
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A program created in 2019 for Ohio's water health, called H2Ohio, could face a dramatic cut in funding. H2Ohio was created by Gov. Mike DeWine. The program is run by three state agencies to achieve one goal: ensuring Ohioans have access to clean and safe water. 'We've got a lot of water,' Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture Brian Baldridge said. 'But we need to make sure we have quality.' Baldridge works alongside the directors of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to keep H2Ohio effective. But right now, the state budget slashes its funding. Columbus' Leveque Tower to covert apartments into for-sale condos 'In many ways, they've already achieved a lot of the things they wanted to do,' Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said. 'Not at all,' Baldridge said in response to Huffman's comment. 'This is a continuation.' The past two fiscal years, H2Ohio received a combined $53 million to continue its work. DeWine wanted a slight increase of about $1 million for the next two. But Ohio House members cut it by about 46%, funding it at about $14 million for fiscal year's 26 and 27 each. In a statement, the Ohio EPA said in fiscal years 24 and 25, 400 H2Ohio grants were awarded statewide to support things like water, infrastructure, dam removal and chloride reduction. With the funding cut the EPA spokesperson tells me only 20-30 grants will be issued the next two years. They say H2Ohio has been 'instrumental in helping communities, especially small and disadvantaged ones.' Huffman said not only does he think H2Ohio could go without all of that money, but he said the state has other priorities. 'I think there's money I that fund that we could use for many of the other programs, so it's really just a balancing,' he said. 'This is a long-term program, this is a long term vision,' Baldridge said. 'It's just all about water quality here in our state because it is so important in our state.' The budget does still need to go through the Ohio Senate before it passes the Statehouse. Baldridge and the Ohio EPA said they are going to continue pushing for the programs funding to come back up. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
$600K+ awarded to area agencies to best mosquito viruses
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is awarding several state agencies with money to combat mosquito spread illnesses. In a press release, the Ohio EPA announced that $650,625 would be awarded to 33 state agencies. Of that total, three Miami Valley agencies are included. 'These grants are essential to help health departments around Ohio fight mosquito-borne diseases,' said Ohio EPA Director-Designate, John Logue. 'The funding provides education, outreach, and necessary equipment to better protect all Ohioans.' Ohio invasive plant list grows longer Specifically, the grants will help alleviate the spread of viruses like West Nile, La Crosse Encephalitis and Eastern Equine Encephalitis by funding surveillance, larval control and the reduction of breeding spots like those found in illegal scrap tire piles. Greene County Public Health will receive $25,000, the Darke County General Health District will receive $24,613 and the Butler County General Health District will receive $22,102. In total, $71,715 was awarded to Miami Valley agencies for this effort. A complete list of state agencies receiving a grant for mosquito control is below. 2025-MCG-Award-ListDownload Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
