Environment Management

Wastewater Treatment Webinar, July 1

Ohio EPA will hold a free webinar Thursday, July 1 to examine the assistance offered to help businesses and others keep their wastewater treatment plant in compliance with environmental standards. The webinar will cover smaller wastewater plant issues faced by some manufacturers. 6/24/2021

Federal Infrastructure Plan at Risk Due to Climate-Related Demands

On Capitol Hill this week, several Democratic senators announced they will oppose any infrastructure deal that doesn’t guarantee aggressive climate action. According to reports, the announcement threatens a bipartisan infrastructure deal.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Manufacturers, U.S. Chamber, and Business Roundtable have reiterated their call for passage of an infrastructure plan that makes a “major investment in physical infrastructure.” 6/17/2021

DeWine Administration Dedicates More H2Ohio Projects

Adding to the dozens of H2Ohio wetlands projects already in progress, the DeWine administration this week dedicated three more to enhance the state’s water quality. Two of the projects are located in Williams County; the third is along the Maumee State Scenic River in Antwerp. 6/10/2021

Senate Budget Amendment Prevents Local Restrictions on Plastic Bags

Among the Ohio Senate’s revisions to the state budget bill this week was a new provision that would permanently prevent local governments from restricting or taxing the use of auxiliary containers such as plastic bags. The OMA has supported prior temporary bans and supports the Senate amendment. A patchwork of local policies is never a good way to regulate. 6/3/2021

Ohio EPA Comment Period Opens on Draft Revisions to RACT Requirements for VOC and NOx Emissions

OMA Connections Partner Vorys posted that Ohio EPA has proposed rules that will require additional Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) and Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emission controls for certain manufacturing and industrial operations located in the Cincinnati and Cleveland 2015 ozone nonattainment areas.

Vorys wrote that both the Cleveland and Cincinnati nonattainment areas failed to meet the ozone standard during the 2018-2020 ozone monitoring seasons and, thus, are going to be subject to more stringent Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) requirements.

Ohio EPA’s Public Notice, Business Impact Analysis, Synopsis of Changes, and revised rules are available on Ohio EPA’s website. Comments on the draft revisions to OAC 3745-21 and OAC 3745-110 are due to Ohio EPA on or before June 18, 2021 and June 22, 2021, respectively. OMA expects to comment. Contact OMA’s Rob Brundrett. 5/21/2021

Webinar on Demand: U.S. EPA’s New PFAS Reporting Requirement

Last week OMA Connections Partner Vorys presented a webinar to help affected manufacturers prepare to comply with U.S. EPA’s new per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) reporting requirement under the U.S. Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Reporting Program. Disclosure of annual chemical releases of nearly 200 PFAS substances is due on or before July 1, 2021 based on facilities’ 2020 operations.

Access the recorded webinar here and the PPT slides here. 5/24/2021

U.S. EPA Issues Proposed Rule for HFC Phasedown

OMA Connections Partner Thompson Hine posts this news about the AIM Act, passed by Congress in December 2020, and the U.S. EPA’s subsequent proposed rule to phase down the production and consumption of 18 listed hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in a step-wise manner, concluding with an 85% phasedown from an established baseline by 2036.

The 45-day public comment period for the proposed rule began on May 19, 2021 and ends on July 6, 2021. EPA is holding a virtual public meeting on the proposed rule on June 3, 2021. 5/26/2021

Ohio House Passes Bill to Ban PFAS in Firefighters’ Training Foam

The Ohio House this week approved House Bill 158, which would restrict the use of firefighting foam that contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for training purposes. The proposal still allows the foam to be used in emergencies and sold. 5/19/2021

OMA Environment Committee Briefed on Ohio Air Issues, Environmental Justice Policies

This week, the OMA Environment Committee held its second meeting of 2021. Meeting highlights included a discussion on environmental justice policies and their implementation, as well as their impact on manufacturing companies, led by Ross Eisenberg, vice president of federal affairs at the American Chemistry Council.

The group also heard from Bob Hodanbosi, chief of Ohio EPA’s air pollution division, who gave his annual air update. The group discussed at length the new ozone non-attainment designations for Cleveland and Cincinnati and increased regulations that come with the designations. The committee meets again in September. 5/20/2021

Still Time to Register for PFAS Reporting Webinar

There’s still time to register for the OMA’s May 20 webinar that will discuss the U.S. EPA’s new reporting requirement for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This event will help manufacturers better understand and prepare for the requirement, and it’s free for OMA members. Experts from Vorys, an OMA Connections Partner, will present.

The EPA says it plans to keep adding new PFAS chemicals (so-called “forever chemicals”) to the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) reporting requirements as authorized by the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. 5/10/2021