News and Analysis
Charting Ohio’s CO2 Emissions
January 17, 2020The St. Louis Fed has published nearly 5,000 new data series examining the sources of energy-related CO2 emissions in the U.S. The data series from the U.S. Energy Information Administration show emissions by fuel type, sector, and state. Here’s a look at Ohio’s industrial CO2 emissions, which have dropped dramatically since 1980. 1/14/2020
Honda R&D Earns Ohio EPA’s Top Award
January 17, 2020This week, Ohio EPA Director Laurie Stevenson recognized Honda R&D Americas, Inc. with the agency’s platinum level environmental stewardship award. The company was bestowed with the honor due to its emphasis on waste reduction, community service and outreach.
Honda R&D Americas is Honda’s second-largest R&D center in the world, located just outside Columbus in Raymond. 1/14/2020
Kurt Thiede Appointed as U.S. EPA Region 5 Administrator
January 10, 2020This week, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the appointment of Kurt Thiede of Wisconsin to become Region 5 administrator, overseeing environmental protection efforts in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.
Thiede will succeed Cathy Stepp, who is stepping down from her post in the Great Lakes region after several years of service to the agency. The OMA established a strong working relationship with Thiede during his time as chief of staff to Administrator Stepp. We’re looking forward to continuing that relationship as he begins his new role. 1/9/2019
Key Scientist Debunks ‘Dark Waters’
January 10, 2020The movie “Dark Waters” continues to be exposed for the piece of sensationalism it is. This week, one of the six scientists who wrote a report on the 1999 cattle deaths featured in the movie took issue with the film.
In a letter to the editor, Robert H. Poppenga says the movie perpetuates falsehoods about science to sell movie tickets — noting that his team “concluded there was no evidence that chemical contamination was associated with the cattle’s health problems, which instead resulted from poor nutrition and sub-par veterinary care.” The movie, he says, “ignores scientific studies that are inconvenient to the filmmakers’ narrative.” 1/7/2020
OMA’s Rob Brundrett Reviews ‘Dark Waters’
January 3, 2020In late 2019, a movie called “Dark Waters” was released by Hollywood activists, and promoted by trial lawyers and anti-manufacturing interests. While the movie has been a box office bust, it has succeeded in its mission of misrepresenting manufacturing in the Ohio River Valley.
The OMA’s Rob Brundrett, director of public policy services, recently reviewed the film at the request of the Ohio State Bar Association. The association’s magazine, Ohio Lawyer, has published his critique.
If you haven’t already seen the OMA’s “Truth About Dark Waters” website — which sets the record straight with fact sheets, videos, and a blog — be sure to do so. 1/2/2020
Ohio Manufacturer: System of ‘Jackpot Justice’ Causing Financial Harm to U.S. Economy
January 3, 2020Andrew O. Smith, CEO of Yenkin-Majestic Paint Corp. in Columbus, has also penned his thoughts on the movie “Dark Waters” and what he calls “a system of ‘Jackpot Justice’ where trial lawyers and special-interest groups extort huge payouts and regulate manufacturing through litigation.”
In a Jan. 2 guest editorial published in The Columbus Dispatch, Smith wrote: “Lawsuits impose a cost on our country equal to roughly 9.4% of GDP or about $2 trillion annually in dead-weight losses, showing up in higher costs for goods and services to the tune of $6,000 for every man, woman and child in this country, every single year.” 1/2/2020