Ohio

EPA denies Ohio’s request of manure discharge oversight

Published

2 years ago

December 9, 2022

EPA denies Ohio’s request of manure discharge oversight

The state of Ohio has tried to switch which authorities company oversees that disposal of manufacturing unit farm manure for greater than 20 years. The federal authorities has lastly stated no after a long time of forwards and backwards.

Ohio has over 200 Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations or CAFO’s, in any other case referred to as manufacturing unit farms.

These manufacturing unit farms sometimes preserve hundreds of hogs and cattle in confined areas, which produce tons of manure. At one level, a report discovered manufacturing unit farms in Ohio produced over 10 million tons of manure per yr.

If these operations wish to do away with all that manure, they have to apply for a allow referred to as the Nationwide Pollutant Discharge Elimination System by way of the Ohio EPA.

Steve Jann, who oversees water permits by way of the U.S. Environmental Safety Company, stated the allow principally regulates and places a cap on the quantity of air pollution any producer, equivalent to a manufacturing unit farm, can discharge.

“The essence of this system is to require an individual who discharges pollution into waters of america to set limitations on the amount, the frequency and high quality of discharges into floor water.”

If manure discharge isn’t dealt with correctly, it may possibly result in dangerous nutrient runoff like nitrogen and phosphorus, which may kill aquatic life and trigger poisonous algae blooms like those on Lake Erie.

Again in 2000, then Ohio Governor Bob Taft signed into legislation a invoice permitting the Ohio Division of Agriculture to manage most manufacturing unit farm operations.

The legislation allowed manufacturing unit farms to be constructed and operated by way of a allowing course of authorised by the division of agriculture. These permits, nevertheless, prohibit manufacturing unit farms from discharging manure.

As an alternative, the manure is saved on website in a “manure lagoon.” It can be hauled and utilized as a nutrient to crop fields, which doesn’t require an NPDES allow, in line with Shelby Croft, a spokesperson for the state division of agriculture.

The legislation additionally requested the federal authorities switch these manure regulation permits from the Ohio EPA to the state division of agriculture.

In an announcement, Croft stated the agriculture division’s switch request was supposed to streamline the allowing course of and stop duplicative efforts by ODA and Ohio EPA.

The U.S. EPA lately denied that request. That’s as a result of the federal company highlighted 81 provisions the state wants to deal with first in letters it despatched to the division of agriculture in 2019 and 2020.

The U.S. EPA additionally highlighted it didn’t obtain formal responses from the agriculture division explaining if or the way it made these modifications.

“ODA is presently reviewing the letter from the U.S. EPA and is within the means of figuring out subsequent steps. ODA disagrees with sure characterizations within the letter and can be responding to the U.S. EPA in writing.” Croft stated.

Tarah Heinzen, with the nonprofit Meals and Water Watch, stated a lot of these switch requests are problematic as a result of state companies’ mission is to advertise agribusiness.

“We all know that agriculture departments lack the technical abilities and experience to run a clear water allowing program. They don’t have the expertise as regulators and enforcers of technical discharge permits that environmental companies do.” Heinzen stated.

She provides the U.S. EPA must do extra to manage manufacturing unit farms, particularly these authorised by the state division of agricultures. That’s as a result of it’s nonetheless laborious to manage the trade.

“The federal EPA has actually arrange a catch me in the event you can system the place if a CAFO says that they do not discharge, you must exit and principally show that that is not appropriate,” Heinzen stated. “So it is tough for regulators, however it’s even more durable for residents to exit and display {that a} CAFO is discharging into waterways.”

For now, not a lot modifications from the allowing course of. The disapproval of the NPDES switch request has no impact on Ohio’s allowing program or on Ohio EPA’s present NPDES allowing course of, in line with Croft.

The federal company did go away the door open for Ohio to use for the switch once more if it addresses the provisions it’s asking the state company to alter.

Alejandro Figueroa is a corps member with Report for America, a nationwide service program that locations journalists into native newsrooms.

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Ohio

Ohio State Buckeyes’ Will Howard Earns Major Ranking

Published

6 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Ohio State Buckeyes’ Will Howard Earns Major Ranking

Going into the 2024 college football season, there were a lot of questions about Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard.

Heck, there were concerns about him following Ohio State’s dreadful loss to the Michigan Wolverines in the season finale, and the jury is really still out on the Kansas State transfer.

However, there is no denying that Howard stepped up in the Buckeyes’ first-round College Football Playoff game against the Tennessee Volunteers, as he went 24-for-29 with 311 yards, a couple of touchdowns and an interception.

As a result of his impressive performance, Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports ranked him the second-best quarterback remaining in the College Football Playoff, placing only Oregon Ducks signal-caller Dillon Gabriel above him.

“It was easy to say Ohio State should’ve thrown the ball more in the loss to Michigan — I know because I said it, too — but there are two sides to the story,” Fornelli wrote. “You can’t just call more pass plays; you need your quarterback to execute. Howard did that in a frigid Ohio Stadium on Saturday night. He dropped some absolute dimes en route to 311 yards passing while completing 24 of his 29 attempts. This week, he’ll get a chance at redemption following his late-game gaffe in Eugene earlier this season.”

On the season overall, Howard has thrown for 3,171 yards, 29 touchdowns and nine picks while completing 73.2 percent of his passes. He has also punched in seven rushing scores.

Howard still has head-scratching moments, like when he threw an interception in the red zone during the first half against Tennessee.

But, for the most part, he has been everything Ohio State could have asked for since acquiring him via the transfer portal last year.

We’ll see how he fares against Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

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Ohio

Ohio minimum wage to increase Jan. 1 – Washington Examiner

Published

14 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Ohio minimum wage to increase Jan. 1 – Washington Examiner

(The Center Square) – Ohioans working for minimum wage will get another Christmas present in a week.

The state’s minimum wage rises by 25 cents on Jan. 1, going to $10.70 an hour to account for inflation. The current Ohio minimum wage for tipped employees is $5.25 per hour and $10.45 for nontipped workers. The minimum wage for youth workers is $7.25 per hour.

“Ohio voters are to thank for next month’s increase in the minimum wage,” Policy Matters Ohio Economist Heather Smith said. “Voters enshrined adjustments for inflation to the minimum wage law in 2006, when they voted overwhelmingly to raise the state minimum wage. Over 28% of Ohio families with incomes below the federal poverty level will get some relief from rising prices as a result.”

The Economic Policy Institute estimates about 112,700 Ohioans paid less than $10.70 will see a direct wage increase Jan. 1, and another 206,000 making just above the minimum will also see an increase when employers adjust pay scales.

A proposed constitutional amendment that would raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour plus tips by 2026 failed to reach the required number of signatures to reach the ballot earlier this year.

As previously reported by The Center Square, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce opposed the proposed amendment, saying it would hurt small businesses that continue to struggle.

“The proposed minimum wage amendment to the Ohio Constitution is not only ill-advised and economically detrimental, it would be next to impossible to correct once the unintended consequences transpire,” Chamber CEO Steve Stivers said, including the potential for layoffs and reduced jours for workers.

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Ohio

Ohio Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 Midday winning numbers for Dec. 25, 2024

Published

23 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

The Ohio Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 25, 2024, results for each game:

Powerball

Powerball drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m.

15-26-27-30-35, Powerball: 03, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 3

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 2-9-6

Evening: 3-2-1

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 4

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 1-6-3-5

Evening: 9-5-7-9

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 5

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 0-9-1-4-9

Evening: 4-7-1-3-8

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Rolling Cash 5

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 7:05 p.m.

09-24-26-32-34

Check Rolling Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Classic Lotto

Drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, at approximately 7:05 p.m.

03-05-06-15-33-39, Kicker: 6-8-4-2-1-9

Check Classic Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Lucky For Life

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 10:35 p.m.

04-10-35-42-45, Lucky Ball: 02

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

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Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

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