VINCENT, Ohio — Local residents and environmental advocates will gather Tuesday, July 15, at Warren High School for a public meeting to discuss the growing concerns over oil and gas waste injection wells in Washington County.
Ohio, a state once defined by its heartland charm, now finds itself at the epicenter of an environmental crisis, scarred by the relentless march of hydraulic fracturing. This industrial behemoth, while promising energy independence, has unleashed a torrent of toxic wastewater, primarily brine, into our very bedrock via Class II injection wells. Proponents trumpet economic gains, but the escalating concerns for our environment and public health are a chilling counter-narrative. This report is a deep dive into Ohio's fracking nightmare: the failing injection wells, the insidious creep of radioactive waste, the poisoning of our most vital resource—water—and the shocking betrayal of our cherished state parks. This is not a theoretical debate; it's a documented catastrophe, laid bare with the latest data and undeniable truths.
DEFIANCE, Ohio — The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public meeting and hearing on July 17 to discuss a wastewater discharge permit application submitted by First Quality Tissue. The event will begin at 6 p.m. at the City of Defiance Council Chambers, located at 631 Perry Street.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the first time since 2022, Ohio’s farm count fell sharply, underscoring renewed consolidation in the state’s agricultural landscape, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.Ohio’s total farms dropped from 75,800 in 2023 to 74,000 in 2024, a decline of 1,800 operations (2.4%). Over the same period, total farmland contracted by 200,000 acres to 13.5 million acres, even as the average farm size grew by one acre to 182.
VINTON COUNTY, Ohio - The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) has launched a formal investigation into two separate toxic gas releases involving nitric acid at facilities owned by Austin Powder Company in Ohio and Tennessee, the agency announced Tuesday.
LEIPSIC, Ohio — The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has issued a formal Notice of Violation (NOV) to POET Biorefining – Leipsic LLC after sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions at its ethanol facility were found to exceed legal limits during emissions testing conducted in April, according to documents released by the agency Friday.
LOUISVILLE, Ohio — A Stark County metal processing plant has been cited by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for unlawful hazardous waste storage and failure to comply with mandatory cleanup procedures following the shutdown of operations, according to a formal Notice of Violation issued June 18.
The federal lawsuit initiated by Pike Water Inc. against AGC Chemicals Americas Inc. and 14 other chemical companies marks a pivotal moment in the nationwide struggle against "forever chemicals," also known as Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). This legal action, now consolidated within a massive multi-district litigation (MDL) in South Carolina, brings into sharp focus the pervasive nature of PFAS contamination and its profound implications for public health and environmental integrity across six counties in southeast Ohio. The utility's pursuit of extensive damages aims to cover the substantial costs of investigating, remediating, treating, and continuously monitoring its contaminated water resources.
A routine groundwater sampling conducted at Cedarville University this spring revealed elevated levels of arsenic, iron, manganese, and other contaminants, according to a newly released report from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
KENTON, Ohio — The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) to the City of Kenton this week, citing serious deficiencies in the city's aging water treatment infrastructure and high water loss rates that threaten drinking water safety for the community of nearly 8,000 residents.
The impending closure of Pixelle Specialty Solutions' paper mill in Chillicothe by August 10, 2025, represents a critical juncture for the long-term environmental management of the former Howmet Wear-Ever Facility. This closure will cease the operation of Pixelle's high-capacity collector wells, specifically PW-17 and PW-18, which have been instrumental in maintaining hydrodynamic control over a significant volatile organic compound (VOC) plume originating from the Wear-Ever site.
WAVERLY, Ohio — The Pike County Land Reutilization Corporation (PCLRC) is seeking assistance from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's (Ohio EPA) Targeted Brownfield Assessment (TBA) program to redevelop the former Stockdale School property. The project, located at 56 State Route 335 in Stockdale, Ohio, involves the demolition of the existing building and preparing the 4.89-acre site for future use.
A Philadelphia-based law firm has opened an investigation into the June 11 chemical release at the Austin Powder Company’s Red Diamond explosives facility in Vinton County, Ohio.
A deadly explosion at the Austin Powder Company's Red Diamond Plant in July 2009 foreshadowed ongoing safety and environmental challenges at the Vinton County facility, which was again at the center of controversy this week after a significant chemical leak prompted evacuations.
VINTON COUNTY, OHIO — A dangerous chemical leak at the Austin Powder Plant has escalated into a regional emergency after a 5,000-gallon tank of nitric acid released the chemical early this morning. Approximately 3,000 gallons of the highly corrosive substance into the environment. The release generated a massive toxic plume of nitric oxide, prompting a 3-mile evacuation radius and flight restrictions over a 39-mile zone.
A potentially hazardous chemical release at the Austin Powder Plant in northern Vinton County sent an orange haze billowing into the morning sky, forcing emergency officials to evacuate nearby communities and warn residents of significant environmental risk.
For over two centuries, the Chillicothe paper mill, now operating as Pixelle Specialty Solutions, has cast a long shadow over its community, not just as an economic pillar but as a persistent source of environmental contamination. Despite numerous ownership changes, from Mead to Glatfelter and finally Pixelle, a disturbing pattern of pollution and regulatory non-compliance has plagued the site. The most recent and definitive proof of this enduring toxic legacy came on April 16, 2025, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) levied a $234,440 federal civil penalty against Pixelle Specialty Solutions for eleven distinct Clean Air Act violations. This significant fine, issued just two days before the company's abrupt announcement of the plant's closure, strongly suggests that the cumulative burden of environmental remediation and regulatory pressure ultimately rendered continued operation untenable.
A new watchdog report, based on an Ohio EPA investigation, paints a grim picture of Jeffersonville’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) No. 2, revealing a pervasive pattern of environmental non-compliance, operational neglect, and significant infrastructure decay that poses substantial risks to public health and the ecological integrity of Sugar Creek.
PIKE COUNTY, OH - The Village of Beaver's community water system has resolved several violations identified by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, but two significant deficiencies related to facility maintenance remain outstanding.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is preparing to amend a set of air pollution control rules aimed at curbing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from industrial sources across the state, with a public hearing scheduled for Monday, June 2 at the agency's headquarters in downtown Columbus.
HURON,OH — The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) reported a partial resolution of a violation against the Erie County Vermilion District's public water system while noting several remaining unresolved issues, according to a letter sent May 23. The violations stem from a sanitary survey conducted by the Ohio EPA on March 19 and 21.
ZANESVILLE, OH — Casting Solutions, LLC, a Zanesville-based gray iron casting operation, has been cited for multiple air and water pollution violations following recent inspections by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA). The violations, detailed in two separate notices sent to James Dingey, Environmental Engineer for Casting Solutions, LLC, require the company to submit compliance plans within 30 days.
FAIRFIELD, OH - Residents of Hamilton's Lindenwald neighborhood remain deeply concerned about ongoing pollution from the USALCO facility in Fairfield, with new information revealing the company was cited for failing an emissions test months before publicly promising to address particulate fallout.
ORIENT, OH – The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) has delivered a stern Notice of Violation (NOV) to the Pickaway Correctional Institution (PCI) for numerous infractions at its wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The violations, stemming from an April 9, 2025, Compliance Evaluation Inspection (CEI), paint a concerning picture of neglected infrastructure and environmental stewardship at the state facility.
PIONEER, Ohio – What started as a probe into a potentially toxic burial plot has instead unearthed a fresh batch of hazardous waste violations for a small-town Ohio recycling outfit. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) descended on C & R Recyclers in Pioneer, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it spot in Williams County, on May 7, 2025, following a tip-off that the company had allegedly received a truck trailer brimming with old pesticides and mystery chemicals. The whistleblower claimed these substances were being mixed with concrete powder and then buried – a scenario that could spell serious trouble for the local environment.
BP’s Archaea Energy just flipped the switch on two new renewable natural gas (RNG) plants in southern Ohio—one at the Beech Hollow Landfill in Wellston and another at the Pike Sanitation Landfill in Waverly. These facilities, situated about 40 minutes apart and operated by Rumpke Waste & Recycling, aim to capture methane emissions from decomposing waste and convert them into RNG using Archaea’s Modular Design (AMD) technology.
The EPA is walking back some of the toughest rules on “forever chemicals” in drinking water, dialing back protections that were supposed to cut down on the cancer-causing crap still lingering in our taps. These chemicals, known as PFAS, have been linked to all kinds of nasty health problems, from liver damage to developmental disorders, and they basically never break down once they hit the environment.
