IAPE and OEFFA put on the program "Risks of oil and gas pipelines weighed in local forum" in Athens [View all]

The next speaker was Nathan Johnson, an attorney for the Ohio Environmental Council. Johnson discussed the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's (OEPA) proposal to eliminate state review of oil and gas pipelines and surface coalmines that pose a hazard to the state's waterways. This means that these pipelines and surface mines would be approved under nationwide permits without a state water quality review. This ruling would also eliminate the requirement of public notice and comment on these projects.

Johnson concluded that the OEPA is "basically abandoning the field" with this proposal, which would result in serious irreversible water quality impacts statewide.

"The final speaker was Michael Hollingsworth, an attorney....Hollingsworth also discussed the Ohio Constitution's Chapter 163, which states that a company organized to transport natural gas materials through tubing, pipes or conduits may enter private land to examine it for possible pipeline use, and then appropriate as much land as necessary. He said that many people believe that it's unconstitutional for the companies to take this land, but it's only unconstitutional when the state doesn't provide options for appealing these appropriations, which would amount to denial of due-process rights."

http://www.athensnews.com/ohio/article-43771-risks-of-oil-and-gas-pipelines-weighed-in-local-forum.html

Another forum will be put on at a later date.