Environment Ohio works to win real results that protect Ohio's environment. Below, we highlight some of those victories:
1. Promoting Clean Wind Energy
In January 2007, Environment Ohio-backed legislation to provide more resources to develop clean, renewable wind energy passed unanimously in the Ohio House and Senate. On Jan. 4, Environment Ohio’s Amy Gomberg joined out-going Gov. Taft at the signing of this new policy into law.
2. Protecting Ohio’s Forests, Parks And Lakes
In 2006, Environment Ohio staff stopped an industry-backed bill that would have opened up even more of Ohio’s treasured natural places to oil and gas drilling and logging.
3. Holding Polluters Accountable
In 2005, Environment Ohio and our allies protected the rights of citizens to sue polluters that create a public health threat in their communities.
4. 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. We continue working to eliminate sewage pollution and keep our waters healthy.
5. Protecting The Arctic
In 2005, Environment Ohio and a broad-based coalition across the country once again stopped the oil industry’s backdoor attempts to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to dirty, destructive oil drilling.
6. Fighting Global Warming
Environment Ohio-backed legislation introduced in Congress in 2006 would cut global warming pollution 80 percent by 2050, and would address rising sea levels, extreme weather and other effects of global warming.
7. Restoring Lake Erie
In 2006, Environment Ohio and our allies helped to build bipartisan support in Congress for Great Lakes restoration funding that could result in billions of dollars for local restoration efforts.
8. Alerting Ohioans To Local Contamination
Environment Ohio worked in 2006 to get the cities of Columbus and Cleveland to better notify the public about sewage contamination in local waterways. We also supported strong legislation introduced in the Ohio House to improve notification.
9. Bringing Illegal Polluters To Justice
Since 1990, Environment Ohio staff have filed 12 lawsuits under the Clean Water Act, forcing illegal polluters to pay over $2 million in fines. In a landmark case, Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel paid $700,000 for polluting the Ohio River.
10. Banning Lake Erie 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.