OMA Environment Committee Hears from Ohio EPA

Pictured: Laura Factor, Assistant Director, Ohio EPA

The OMA Environment Committee had a packed agenda this week. A major focus was water; a panel of manufacturers (The Scotts Miracle Gro Company, ArcelorMittal and Zaclon) discussed water management issues. Manufacturers lead the way in water stewardship, a fact that is not widely understood.

Laura Factor, Assistant Director, Ohio EPA, visited the committee members to discuss the agency’s budget and its priorities for the coming year. A major issue in the budget is a requirement for the agency to fashion new rules on Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), in response to a recent court case.

The Clean Water Act also requires each state to establish a TMDL for certain bodies of water. The TMDL establishes the maximum amount of a pollutant that may be discharged without causing the receiving body of water to violate water-quality standards. The Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the Ohio EPA must adhere to Ohio’s statutory rulemaking procedure prior to establishing TMDL’s for a body of water. Read an analysis from OMA environmental counsel Frank Merrill of Bricker & Eckler.

The committee also received a federal environmental update from Greg Bertelsen, Senior Director, Energy and Resources Policy, National Association of Manufacturers. 3/9/2017