News and Analysis
Ohio’s Online Materials Marketplace Formally Launched
April 7, 2017Ohio EPA Director Craig W. Butler was in Sandusky this week to announce the launch of the new online platform whereby Ohio businesses can advertise and acquire scrap and by-product materials that might otherwise be destined for disposal in landfills. The new Ohio Materials Marketplace is a free online platform allowing these organizations to connect and find solutions to material reuse and recycling needs, thereby, facilitating the shift towards a circular, closed-loop economy.
Examples of materials posted on the marketplace (and their potential re-uses) include common items such as bulk wooden pallets (mulch base) or used bricks (building materials). Other items reflect materials from industrial processes such spent foundry sand (to be mixed with potting soil), and specialized items such as spent hydro-treating catalyst (metals recovery).
Along with browsing for materials, users of the marketplace can post “wanted” items, thereby, seeking items that may serve as substitutes for raw materials or other items they currently purchase. Examples of such requests that have been posted thus far include bulk alumina oxide (for metals harvesting/recovery) and bulk food waste in packaging (to be used for aerobic digestion/energy recovery).
In the circular economy, products and by-products recirculate productively through reuse, remanufacturing, recycling and maintenance. Users of the Ohio Materials Marketplace can make or save money by finding a market for their unwanted materials and avoiding landfill tipping fees; buyers save money by having access to sellers’ discounted (or free) materials; Ohio’s environment benefits by having more material removed from the waste stream.
Ohio is the first state in the U.S. to adopt a circular economy program of this scope and scale.
An informational Ohio EPA webinar will be held on April 19, 2017. Register here. Or contact Joseph Klatt at (614) 644-2798. 4/5/52017
Training Resources on New Ohio EPA Storm Water Permit
April 7, 2017Last month, Ohio EPA hosted a webinar on its new industrial storm water general permit. The permit is now expected to be renewed in May 2017. Ohio EPA continues to compile responses to the comments provide by stakeholders.
Ohio EPA posted a link to the recorded webinar and a copy of the PowerPoint slides in its training catalog here. You can also view the entire webinar on Ohio EPA’s YouTube channel here.
You can also watch a recording on how to submit an electronic storm water permit here. 4/6/2017
NAM Cheers Rollback of Clean Power Plan
March 31, 2017This week National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons participated in the event at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in which President Trump signed an executive order rolling back the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan.
Timmons said: “American families have suffered at the hands of far-reaching regulations; 297,696 federal restrictions on manufacturers alone have stifled job creation and reduced the capital that is spent on innovating new technologies to improve our environment even more. Thanks to the groundbreaking innovation of manufacturers, including energy producers, we have reduced emissions by 10 percent since 2005, while our value to the economy has increased by 19 percent over that same time period.
“The immense regulatory burden on manufacturers certainly drove the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action to lead the charge to stop, and in fact, halt, the previous administration’s so-called Clean Power Plan—an unprecedented power grab by Washington that would have devastated our nation’s reliable and affordable energy advantage and targeted the jobs of many hardworking Americans. Today, those jobs are safe.” 3/30/2017
Air Emissions Reporting Webinars Available
March 24, 2017Title V and Synthetic Minor Title V 2016 annual emissions reports are due April 17, 2017.
Ohio EPA sent information in January summarizing the changes you should expect to see when preparing these forms. Ohio EPA is hosting three webinars to demonstrate how to navigate the changes via the Air Services system and to answer questions you may have about preparing your annual emissions reports:
- Wednesday, March 29, 1:00-2:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, April 5, 1:00-2:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, April 12, 1:00-2:30 p.m.
To register click here. 3/23/2017
Ohio EPA Updates Guide for Environmental Permitting
March 24, 2017Ohio EPA recently updated its Guide to Environmental Permitting in Ohio.
The guide provides an overview of the permitting process, and helps businesses determine which permits they might need, why a certain permit is required, and how to obtain any necessary permits. 3/23/2017
Senate Affirms Water Bill, Includes Helpful Slag Language
March 17, 2017In a unanimous vote, 33-0, Senate Bill 2 breezed through the Ohio Senate this week. The bill covers a variety of Ohio water issues including, quality, public water systems, landfills and dredging. The bill includes a provision the OMA has strongly advocated which would recognize slag as a marketable product and not a waste under Ohio’s water laws.
The bill exempts slag from excessive regulation while at the same time requiring that it be used in a manner that conforms with appropriate water quality standards. The bill now moves to the House for consideration. 3/16/2017
OMA Environment Committee Hears from Ohio EPA
March 10, 2017
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
Got Scrap? Want Scrap? Ohio Materials Marketplace Launched!
March 3, 2017The Ohio EPA is inviting OMA members to participate in its newly launched Ohio Materials Marketplace with the objective to advance Ohio towards a circular material economy.
The free online platform enables Ohio businesses to list by-product and waste materials, as well as post requests for desired materials. The Materials Marketplace aims to assist manufacturers and other businesses in advancing their zero-landfill goals, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing material and waste management costs.
Raw materials, by-products, and massive volumes are welcomed. Materials can range from computer monitors to waste paper to clay.
To inquire about joining, click here. For further information, contact Ohio EPA’s Joseph Klatt at (614) 705-1147. 2/24/2017
Calling Environmental Managers!
March 3, 2017The first OMA Environment Committee meeting of the year will be on Wednesday, March 8, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the OMA offices (with a nice lunch provided by OMA).
- Ohio EPA Assistant Director, Laura Factor, and Chief of Legislative Affairs, Greg Vergamini, will brief us on agency news and updates.
- Greg Bertelsen, Senior Director, Energy and Resources Policy, National Association of Manufacturers, will provide an outlook of Ohio EPA under the Trump administration.
- We’ll have a panel discussion focusing on manufacturers’ water issues.
- And, we’ll also have a state budget bill and legislative update.
Julianne Kurdila, Lead Specialist, Environmental Compliance & Policy, ArcelorMittal, is the committee chair.
Please register here for in-person or call-in attendance. 3/2/2017
Ohio EPA to Host Webinar on New Industrial Storm Water General Permit
March 3, 2017Ohio EPA is hosting a webinar focused on Ohio’s new Industrial Storm Water General Permit on Wednesday March 29, at 1:00 p.m. The permit is expected to be renewed in early March 2017.
The webinar will include updates on changes from the previous general permit and resources for industrial storm water permit holders. 2/27/2017