COLUMBUS, Ohio - The unlawful disposal of thousands of gallons of fracking waste in Ohio is drawing the ire of residents and environmental groups. The Ohio EPA is investigating the intentional dumping of an estimated 20,000 gallons of crude oil and brine into a storm drain in Youngstown by Hard Rock Excavating. The incident occurred on Jan. 31, but was not reported for five days.

Julian Boggs, state policy advocate with Environment Ohio, said it was a company whistleblower, not state regulators, who uncovered the violation.

"The lesson we need to take and learn from this is that we have a serious, serious problem with fracking waste in this state," he said, "and we do not have an adequate system in place in order to protect public health and protect the environment."

Fracking opponents criticized state regulators for not disclosing details about the quantity of waste or the chemicals involved in the spill. Boggs called this situation evidence that Ohio has rushed into allowing fracking without considering the consequences. While the whole process should be re-examined, Boggs said, a first step would be to include fracking in hazardous waste laws.

"Ohio really is becoming a regional dumping ground for toxic and radioactive waste, and we just don't want or deserve that title," he said.

More than 6 million barrels of fracking waste from Pennsylvania and West Virginia were dumped in Ohio in 2011. Boggs complained that no proper regulations are in place for disposing of fracking waste from Ohio and other states.

"With millions and millions of barrels of this stuff coming over the border from Pennsylvania, and more being created here in our own state," he said, "it's becoming a serious problem that we're not adequately dealing with."

The industry says the brine and fluids used in the fracking process are largely safe, but opponents contend the process pollutes groundwater with toxic chemicals, creating threats to public health. According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the state has some of the most comprehensive oil and gas regulations in the nation to safeguard the public and the environment.

D&L Energy, which owns Hardrock Excavating, has not addressed the alleged violation. Ohio has permanently revoked the operating permits of both companies.




get more stories like this via email

Savannah's leaders are pointing out the ways federal dollars are being used to boost the area's resilience against climate change.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, many residents are just now getting their power back after a week in the dark. Mayor Van Johnson said the storm has been a wakeup call for the urgent need to tackle climate change, and Savannah's resilience plan is designed to do just that.

"In 2020, the city council unanimously adopted a 100% Savannah Initiative," he said, "which means transitioning partially to clean energy in the 2030s and totally by 2050."

Johnson said 75% of the city's buildings are at risk of flooding, and 26% face wildfire threats. Despite these challenges, he noted that efforts to build climate resilience have boosted the local economy, with jobs popping up in solar energy, construction and renewable technology.

Savannah is part of a statewide initiative that recently received $156 million from the Solar for All program, part of the Inflation Reduction Act. This funding, spread across Georgia, aims to expand solar energy over the next five years.

Nicole Lee, CEO of Be Smart Home Solutions, said its efforts have already helped local families lower energy costs.

"The Thomases were our very first clients to get solar with the Georgia Bright Program," she said. "They have seen savings of more than 50% on their power bills. Just this summer, they've seen a bill of $18 from solar plus storage."

She said the solar system proved invaluable during Hurricane Helene, allowing them to power critical medical devices and even serve as a resiliency hub for their neighbors.

Chatham County Commissioner Aaron Whitley emphasized the importance of preparedness in the face of future storms, pointing to new projects aimed at enhancing community resilience.

"Chatham County is working on community resiliency hubs that will provide power during the outages like the ones we experienced last week," he said.

Officials have said these efforts are also crucial to protect vulnerable communities from the health impacts of climate change. Other projects in the works include what's known as beach "re-nourishment," a drainage basin study, and forging more partnerships with other organizations to bolster the region's preparedness.


get more stories like this via email

Neighborhoods across New Mexico and other states will soon be cleaner and quieter as the U.S. Postal Service rolls out its new electric mail-delivery trucks.

The USPS received $3 billion in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act to electrify its fleet - the largest in the country.

Kathleen Garcia, who directs the Sierra Club's Clean Transportation for All campaign, said the Next Generation Delivery Vehicles will not only fight climate change but also reduce noise pollution for the 45 million Americans who live in close proximity to a road or other transport infrastructure.

"A lot of these vehicles just go a short distance every single day, and then they return back to the hub, where they can easily be charged," she said, "and so it just makes a lot of common sense."

New Mexico is one of the 13 states that have mandated adoption of electric vehicles. To that end, the state's "Clean Car Tax Credit" officially launched on Oct. 1. It allows people who bought a clean car as of May 2024 to apply for state tax credits for the purchase. Up to $3,000 in credits are available for individuals or businesses.

Many people have commented on the odd appearance of the new vehicles - which, compared with predecessors, have much larger windshields and bumpers and a hood that some say resembles a duck bill. Garcia said there's a good reason for the modifications.

"The design changes," she said, "were made to ensure the safety of the driver and the safety of folks that are around the vehicles - other drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists - to really make sure that they're moving around town safely."

Within the next few years, the USPS expects to replace its current fleet, introduced 40-years ago, with 60,000 new vehicles - most of them electric models - across all 50 states. The new EVs feature airbags, 360-degree cameras, blind-spot monitoring, collision sensors and anti-lock brakes.

A bill pending in Congress would use federal funds to help farmers in Missouri and elsewhere transition from concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, to more climate-friendly production. The idea, according to the bill's backers, is to assist producers who want to move from intensive animal agriculture to pasture-based animal agriculture or specialty crop production.

Tim Gibbons, communications director with the Missouri Rural Crisis Center, said the program could allow family farms to better compete with corporate-owned operations.

"Using those dollars to support the vast majority of livestock producers in Missouri would be beneficial, not only to their family farms, but to their local economies, to the land that they're stewards of, and also allowing them to stay in business," he said.

Missouri conservation groups say CAFOs dominate the state's agricultural industry, mass-producing meat at a minimal cost to outcompete smaller independent farms. Agri-business associations say concentrated operations are needed to provide an affordable food supply for a global population.

Conservationists claim CAFOs produce water and air pollution, use hormones and antibiotics in meat production, and often neglect and abuse farm animals. Gibbons says the Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act would help keep independent operations from being forced out of business.

"Ninety-percent of Missouri hog producers were put out of business in one generation, and that's through industrialization, vertical integration and the corporate takeover. We're working to ensure that independent operations can be viable and farmers can pass the farms down to the next generation," he added.

Gibbons said Missouri Rural Crisis Center was formed in 1985 out of the farm crisis of the 1980's and added that the group advocates for policies that support independent family farm operations.


get more stories like this via email