Environment Ohio works to win real results that protect Ohio's environment. Below, we highlight some of those victories:

Creating a clean energy future for Ohio
More of Ohio’s electricity will come from clean, renewable sources, such as wind and solar power, thanks to a new law backed by Environment Ohio and signed by Gov. Ted Strickland in 2008. The law will also help Ohioans save energy—and reduce their utility bills—through energy efficiency.

Saving Ohio’s open spaces
The voter-approved Ballot Issue 2 will provide $400 million to protect open spaces across the state and clean up old industrial waste sites. Environment Ohio helped to spread the word about Issue 2, talking to tens of thousands of voters across the state.

Going farther on a gallon of gas
New gas mileage standards for cars and trucks, championed by Environment Ohio and our allies, were approved in 2007. The standards will reduce global warming pollution 424 million metric tons per year by 2030.

Preserving Lake Erie and the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes Compact, passed in 2008, will ensure that water from the lakes is used more sustainably. Environment Ohio and our allies helped to build support for the agreement, and our advocates in Washington helped to push it through Congress.

Holding polluters accountable
In 2005, Environment Ohio and our allies defended the rights of citizens to sue polluters that create a public health threat in their communities.

Protecting Ohio’s forests, parks and lakes
In 2006, and again in 2008, Environment Ohio staff stopped an industry-backed bill that would have opened up even more of Ohio’s treasured natural places—such as Hocking Hills State Park and Forest—to logging, and oil and gas drilling.

Stopping sewage dumping
In 2005, Environment Ohio and our allies stopped a Bush administration proposal that would have allowed more sewage to be dumped into Ohio waterways. Since then, we’ve continued working to eliminate sewage pollution and keep our waters healthy.

Defending the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Some 123,000 Porcupine caribou will migrate to their calving grounds in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge this spring, thanks in part to our steadfast opposition to oil company attempts to open this pristine wilderness to oil drilling.

Bringing illegal polluters to justice
Since 1990, Environment Ohio staff have filed 12 lawsuits under the Clean Water Act, forcing illegal polluters to pay more than $2 million in fines. In a landmark case, Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel paid $700,000 for polluting the Ohio River.

Keeping Lake Erie safe from oil drilling
In 2003, after years of advocacy by Environment Ohio staff, Gov. Taft announced a ban on new oil and gas drilling in Lake Erie. Since then, we’ve fought proposals by the Legislature to lift the ban, and open our state parks and forests to drilling and logging.