Environmental groups are fighting proposed mining of Perry State Forest. The Ohio Environmental Council (OEC), along with Friends of Perry State Forest, filed an appeal to the Environmental Review Appeals Commission to challenge a permit submitted by the Oxford Mining Company to strip mine 500 acres of the Perry State Forest. The strip mine will comprise surface mining and an …

Critics have accused the bailout of supporting FirstEnergy Solutions’ failing coal plants. Electricity company FirstEnergy’s bailout could be headed to the Ohio Supreme Court, after several environmental groups filed a brief to the court. The brief was filed by the Ohio Environmental Council, the Environmental Defense Fund and the Environmental Law and Policy Center against the Public Utilities Commission of …

Columbus politicians and their constituents across the state remain bewildered by the abrupt resignation last week of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Scott Nally. Nally announced his resignation Tuesday, Jan. 7, in a letter that indicated he leaving his post to pursue “other opportunities.” Nally provided no clue of what these other opportunities might be, nor did he provide any …

A bill that could weaken Ohio’s energy efficiency standards is currently pending in the Ohio Senate Public Utilities Committee. Sponsored by Sen. Bill Seitz, Substitute Senate Bill 58 would reform Senate Bill 221, which was passed in 2008 and set energy efficiency criteria for the four major investor-owned utility companies in Ohio. The bill was created after Seitz determined that …

From economics and health care to abortion and gay rights, Republicans and Democrats always seem to be on opposing ends of the political spectrum. So when it comes to another controversial topic, environmental regulation, it is surprising that the two parties might actually agree on something. The Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act was proposed by Sen. Rob Portman of …