Posted June 16, 200519 yr From the 6/15/05 Cincinnati Business Courier: Study: Ohio should lead on global warming Tony Goins Courier Contributor The Ohio Environmental Council on Wednesday unveiled proposals to help Ohio fight global warming, saying the challenge could be an economic boon to the state. The Columbus-based organization plans to release a report, titled Ohio Climate Roadmap Part 1, which will outline technologies and emission cuts needed to forestall global warming. The theory of global warming holds that man-made pollution such as carbon dioxide traps the sun's heat, unecessairly warming the planet. Ohio is the third-largest producer of greenhouse gases in the country, according to the council, and will need to cut carbon emissions by at least 65 percent over the next 100 years. The council said the state should start modest cuts in emissions now, as it will be more expensive to enact sharper cuts in the future. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2005/06/13/daily21.html?from_rss=1
December 9, 200519 yr From the AP, 12/5/05: Ohio River plants most foul, paper says Two-thirds of state's air pollutants come from them By the Associated Press Ohio River communities built around promises of economic opportunity and riverside homes in the hills house fewer than 6 percent of Ohio's residents. Yet the factory-dotted land near the river produces a quarter of the state's toxic waste and 68 percent of its air pollutants, according to a newspaper analysis. The Columbus Dispatch's study comes as the eight-state commission that oversees the river's water quality considers easing pollution restrictions to cope with aging sewer systems. With river regulations divided among three federal regions and several state agencies in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia, nearby residents worry that officials aren't doing all they can to protect them from potential health hazards.... http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/localnews/daily/1205ohpollute.html A look at top polluters along the Ohio River By the Associated Press The top 10 companies along the Ohio River in terms of volume of toxic waste released in 2003: • Sunoco Haverhill in Haverhill — 64.2 million pounds • AEP J.M. Gavin in Cheshire — 40.2 million pounds • Von Roll WTI in East Liverpool — 37 million pounds • GE Silicones in Friendly, W.Va. — 24 million pounds • Cytec Industries in Willow Island, W.Va. — 22.8 million pounds • AEP Mountaineer in New Haven, W.Va. — 20.5 million pounds • FirstEnergy W.J. Sammis in Stratton — 20.1 million pounds • DP&L J.M. Stuart in Manchester — 18.7 million pounds • Akzo Nobel Chemicals in Gallipolis Ferry, W.Va. — 18.1 million pounds • Kraton Polymers in Belpre — 18.1 million pounds Source:The Columbus Dispatch http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/localnews/daily/1205ohpolluteglance.html
December 22, 200519 yr From the 12/17/05 AP: Ohio tops in pollution risk Associated Press Factory-laden Ohio has the most health risk from industrial pollution when compared with other states. In fact, some 26 Ohio neighborhoods - measured by U.S. Census tracts - are among the 200 worst in the nation. That was one conclusion of a national Associated Press study that analyzed the health risk posed by industrial air pollution using data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Census Bureau. The study, which used data from the year 2000 because it was the most complete, was described in a series of three articles written and published by the news service this past week. The study also found that Ohio is among eight states - along with Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Texas, Michigan, Wisconsin and Missouri - which account for almost half the total health risk nationally from factory air. Nearly one-tenth of the total risk is concentrated in Ohio, especially along the heavily industrialized Ohio River corridor. MORE: http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051217/NEWS02/512170350/1011/RSS02 From the 12/17/05 Cincinnati Post: Measuring an invisible threat Pollution risk high, study says By Dan Hassert Post staff reporter About 300 people lost their jobs when Newport Steel shut down the melt shop and hot strip mill at its Wilder plant in 2001. The silver lining for local residents was a dramatic drop in air pollution. In 2000, the plant estimated it had released 35,567 pounds of toxic chemicals into the air, mostly zinc lead and manganese compounds, according to a yearly emissions report required by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Now, with operations consisting of two electric resistance-weld pipe mills, the plant is releasing "virtually zero'' reportable emissions - just some residual fumes from the oil used to coat pipes to prevent rust, said Tom Golatzki, vice president of engineering, energy and materials for NS Group, Newport Steel's parent company. In fact, the EPA's last available Toxic Release Inventory for the plant in 2003 reported zero emissions of toxic chemicals in the air. MORE: http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051217/NEWS02/512170348/1011/RSS02
March 31, 200619 yr MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060331/NEWS06/603310369/-1/NEWS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Article published March 31, 2006 Regional global warming plan urged Great Lakes unity needed, activist says By TOM HENRY BLADE STAFF WRITER Great Lakes governors and premiers need to adopt a regional strategy to combat global warming before its effects on the world's largest source of fresh surface water become more acute, a Great Lakes author-activist told about 100 people at Maumee Bay State Park yesterday. Dave Dempsey, former Michigan Gov. James Blanchard's environmental adviser, said the $20 billion Great Lakes restoration plan that 1,500 people spent a year writing for President Bush will be meaningless if the region's leaders don't create a unified plan to curb carbon dioxide emissions that cause global warming. Citing a recent Union of Concerned Scientists report, Mr. Dempsey said the effects on this region will include a continued decline in lake levels and a shrinkage of remaining wetlands. The former will hurt recreational tourism while the latter will result in more flooding and erosion-induced pollution, he said. "Why aren't Great Lakes governors talking about global warming?" he asked, claiming they are relatively silent on the issue compared to governors in the Northeast and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
May 30, 200619 yr From the 5/29/06 Toledo Blade: FirstEnergy coal plant selected for key study Project aims to cut greenhouse gases By TOM HENRY BLADE STAFF WRITER FirstEnergy Corp. has become the Midwest's first utility to have a coal-fired power plant chosen for research that could someday be applied broadly to help reduce greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Called geological carbon sequestration, the technology aims to capture carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants - the greatest source of global warming - before they get into the atmosphere. The hope is to inject them deep underground into pits, such as abandoned coal mines, abandoned oil fields, or saltwater aquifers, assuming the cost is within reason. Some $18.1 million is being spent to fund that research and related research involving the absorptive capacity of trees in seven Midwest states, including Ohio and Michigan. Projects are being selected by the Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership, operated by the Battelle Memorial Institute of Columbus. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060529/NEWS08/605290329/-1/RSS
June 27, 200618 yr Group: Cleaner Ohio is good business Tuesday, June 27, 2006 Jennifer Price Plain Dealer Reporter The Ohio Environmental Council believes the state can fight global warming - without damaging its agriculture, coal, and manufacturing industries - by reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. Most of the council's 65 recommendations in a report released Monday dealt with replacement of conventional coal-burning power plants - responsible for such high carbon dioxide emissions - with coal-gasification and sequestration power plants. These plants have new technology to capture and store carbon emissions underground. The council, in its report, cited electric power production, transportation, and thermal heating to be the three largest causes of greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, the gradual warming of the Earth's atmosphere. Ohio is the nation's third-biggest emitter of heat-trapping carbon dioxide, according to the report. In addition, Ohio ranks third in the nation - trailing only Texas and California - for total greenhouse gas emissions. The total emissions account for not just carbon dioxide but also methane gas, black carbon soot (which comes from diesel engine exhaust), and several other harmful gases. MORE: http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1151397158269520.xml&coll=2 Link to pdf of OEC news release: http://www.theoec.org/pdfs/pressrelease/hottopics_pr_roadmap2pr.pdf Link to list of recommendations: http://www.theoec.org/pdfs/pressrelease/hottopics_pr_roadmap2recs.pdf
July 4, 200618 yr BURYING A PROBLEM Scientists hope plans to pump carbon dioxide into the ground can slow climate damage Tuesday, July 04, 2006 By Mike Lafferty, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Pop a can of soda and the fizz tells you that you’ve just added a little more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. It’s something humans have been doing at an increasing rate ever since our first major technological advance — learning to start fires. Carbon-dioxide releases got a bump when we discovered the energy in coal. And they jumped when we discovered oil, refined it into gasoline and began driving around the planet. Add carbon dioxide from poor farming practices and from cutting down huge swaths of forest, and it’s little wonder scientists say that CO2 is at its highest level in more than 600,000 years and global temperatures are on the rise. As researchers try to figure out what to do, one idea is being tested — putting the carbon back where it came from. At different sites, plans call to pump CO2 deep into the bedrock where it was once part of the coal and oil, and back into farm soils where it had accumulated for eons before the plow. MORE: http://dispatch.com/science/science.php?story=dispatch/2006/07/04/20060704-B4-00.html Links to graphics: http://dispatch.com/science/science.php?story=dispatch/2006/07/04/20060704-B4-01.html http://dispatch.com/science/science.php?story=dispatch/2006/07/04/20060704-B5-04.html http://dispatch.com/science/science.php?story=dispatch/2006/07/04/20060704-B5-03.html
July 5, 200618 yr I have noticed that the air quality the past week as been pretty bad in Greater Cincinnati. I commute within West Chester, and on my way to the office, I pass over I-75 at Cin-Day Rd. From here, the valley that Cincinnati sits in is easily seen and the air is just gross. The brown haze of smog just sits above the city. My dad remembers that during the 1970s, when he came here on business, he would get sick from the air. It is not as bad anymore, but it really makes you think about what we're doing to ourselves.
July 5, 200618 yr You're probably seeing nitrogen oxides more than CO2. The nitrogen oxides (or NOx) make up the brown smog that is seen over cities. A good amount comes from autos (much less since catalytic converters became mandatory), and the way the smog hangs in the valleys really depends on the weather. The air is actually much cleaner than it was pre-clean air act. CO2 is naturally in the environment and is vital for photosynthesis. It's just that we have much higher levels today than ever recorded. This is said to be trapping the sun's heat and increasing our global temperatures.
July 14, 200618 yr Yes, I know the difference between nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide. I know that carbon dioxide has been rising, however no direction has been made that temperatures have been rising because of it.
July 14, 200618 yr You can't even come close to seeing the valley Cincinnati sits in from West Chester. You're seeing pollution from cars and the industry north of the city around Evendale. Smog like that is almost impossible to get rid of in any industrial location in a valley when it's 90 degrees and humid. Cincinnati is no different than any other large city.
July 14, 200618 yr ^ Funny thing is, I can see downtown from this location! I know Cincinnati is no different than other cities, however our strong reliance on coal power plants certainly doesn't help our particulate levels.
July 16, 200618 yr Article published July 16, 2006 Could Ohio reverse its role in global-warming equation? Environmentalists see energy alternatives aiding state By TOM HENRY BLADE STAFF WRITER Ohio is America's fourth-largest contributor to global warming. It trails only Texas, California, and Pennsylvania in the amount of heat-trapping carbon dioxide that spews into the atmosphere from power plants, factories, automobiles, and other combustion sources. But that information, culled from the latest online records posted by the federal government's Energy Information Administration, hasn't kept a lot of people from believing Ohio could become a role model for reversing the trend. Even the Ohio Environmental Council, one of the state's largest environmental groups, believes Ohio can do wonders to help bring down carbon dioxide and other so-called greenhouse gases - if there's enough political will. But the group, which recently issued a 65-pronged set of recommendations, isn't just demanding more expensive pollution controls that drive up costs for electric ratepayers and consumers of various goods, including automobiles. It believes a fair chunk of the solution lies within the state's enormous manufacturing sector. Yes, the hope is that all the hubbub of late over global warming will - believe it or not - create as many as 22,000 more jobs in Ohio, from companies building anything from pipelines to wind turbines. "I think the potential for Ohio is enormous and goes across the whole spectrum," said Mark Shanahan of the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority, echoing the sentiments of that report. MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060716/NEWS06/607160310/-1/NEWS
July 25, 200618 yr From the 7/23/06 PD: Warming will change shoreline, scientists say New analysis predicts global rise in temperatures will decrease Erie's size Sunday, July 23, 2006 Bill Sloat Plain Dealer Reporter Cincinnati -- As the Earth's climate slowly heats up under global-warming forecasts, Lake Erie is expected to become shallower and smaller, allowing a languid, unspoiled shoreline to emerge where freshwater waves now roll. Aesthetically, Ohio might come out ahead, with a lot more natural charm on its North Coast. That depiction of a dramatically altered Great Lake -- shrun ken by about one- sixth its current size -- has started to jell in the vast amounts of government data generated in the United States and Canada about some of the most likely im pacts of climate change. By late this century, there could be long stretches of marsh, soggy prairies, unscarred beaches and, eventually, thick, leafy forests on the newly emerged lands ringing the lake, researchers affiliated with the U.S. and Canadian governments predict in a new environmental report. MORE: http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1153643473324350.xml&coll=2&thispage=3 Warming trend to change Erie Sunday, July 23, 2006 Researchers predict global warming will prompt dramatic changes to Lake Erie and the Great Lakes region over the next 50 years. Lake Erie is the world's 12th largest lake and has 871 miles of shoreline in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Ontario. Among their findings for Lake Erie: * Its water level will drop between 6 inches and 32 inches (down as much as 39 inches by 2070) . * Average water temperature will rise 2 degrees to 38 degrees Fahrenheit. * Lake evaporation will be 8 percent to 22 percent greater. * Winter ice coverage will decline by 53 percent to 86 percent. * A few new islands will appear in the western basin, close to Toledo. * The surface area will be about 1,500 square miles smaller, down from the present 9,910 square miles, which would make Lake Erie nearly 1,000 square miles smaller than today's Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba, the 13th largest lake. There is no data yet that shows what could be in store for Lake Winnipeg. MORE: http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1153643450324350.xml&coll=2
July 25, 200618 yr From the 7/25/06 Dispatch: Mercury reduction questioned Power-plant emissions could be cut more, some say Tuesday, July 25, 2006 Poh Si Teng THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Ohio’s plans to reduce mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants are stronger than the federal government’s, but still weak, critics say. Yesterday, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency said it will impose rules to reduce mercury emissions 86 percent by 2018. The Ohio environmental officials had sought more stringent rules — a 90 percent reduction by 2018 — but instead followed instructions from Gov. Bob Taft, said state EPA Director Joe Koncelik. In March 2005, the federal EPA promised to reduce emissions 70 percent by 2020. That would mean cutting current annual emissions of mercury at the nation’s more than 450 power plants from 48 tons to 38 tons in 2010 and 15 tons in 2018. There are 28 coal-fired power plants in Ohio. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/07/25/20060725-D1-02.html
July 28, 200618 yr From the 7/28/06 ABJ: 3 Ohio plants among dirtiest Eco-group lists nation's 50 worst-polluting power plants; industry objects By Bob Downing Beacon Journal staff writer Three Ohio coal-burning power plants are among the dirtiest in the United States, according to a report released Thursday by the Environmental Integrity Project. Named in the report by the Washington, D.C.-based eco-group as being among the 50 most polluting plants in the nation are: • Conesville in Coshocton County at No. 14. • Avon Lake in Lorain County at No. 27. • Beckjord in Clermont County at No. 43. The plants were ranked on the basis of how much pollution they released in producing one kilowatt hour of power. The rankings covered emissions of sulfur dioxide, which contributes to acid rain and health problems; nitrogen oxide, which causes smog and breathing problems; mercury, which is a threat to pregnant women and children, and carbon dioxide, a global-warming gas that is not regulated. The report's author, Ilan Levin, said the Conesville, Avon Lake and Beckjord plants are older, less efficient operations that produce more pollution. Eight other Ohio coal-fired plants were cited in the report, entitled Dirty Kilowatts. MORE: http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/15142934.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news
August 21, 200618 yr From the 8/20/06 ABJ: Region grapples with ozone Area looking for ways to meet federal EPA's requirements By Bob Downing Beacon Journal staff writer Take all the people out of Summit, Medina, Portage, Cuyahoga, Lorain, Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula counties. Shut down all the industry there. That would bring Northeast Ohio -- just barely -- into compliance with tighter federal limits on the pollutant ozone, says Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Joe Koncelik. But that scenario, of course, isn't going to happen. "Right now, there is no viable air pollution control plan that would place Cleveland and the rest of Northeast Ohio into attainment by 2010,'' Koncelik told Congress last fall. Today, Koncelik is a little more optimistic. The U.S. EPA has made one rule change that benefits Northeast Ohio and a second change is under discussion as evidence grows that the air is getting cleaner. MORE: http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/15318473.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news
August 31, 200618 yr From the 8/30/06 Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: EPA extends time for emissions comments By ALAINA FAHY The Eagle-Gazette Staff [email protected] FAIRFIELD COUNTY - The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency wants to hear more from the public about regulations over two common pollutants. The Ohio EPA extended the comment period for rules to control emissions of mercury and nitrogen oxides until today, according to a news release from the department. The date was extended to collect and study more feedback and concerns from the public about the draft of the rules. There will also be other chances for public feedback at public forums, but the dates aren't yet determined. The rules, which are expected to become legislation in the coming year, could make it safer for people to drink water or eat fish from rivers and streams that currently have high amounts of mercury. The rules would also make it safer to breathe Ohio's air, said Heidi Griesmer, spokeswoman for the Ohio EPA. On the Web: To learn more about the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's proposed regulations on nitrogen oxides and mercury, visit www.epa.gov/CAIR/oh.html. MORE: http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060830/NEWS01/608300303/1002/rss01
September 16, 200618 yr From the 9/14/06 Parkersburg News and Sentinel: Study of Mid-Ohio Valley air continues By SAM SHAWVER MARIETTA — Just how bad is the air we’re breathing? That was the core question on people’s minds during a public meeting with members of the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry at Marietta College Tuesday night. “If you had family living here, what would you say to them?” Marietta resident Steve Parlin asked ATSDR epidemiologist Stephanie Davis. “Personally I have to go by the evidence, and there are too many unknowns to make a determination,” Davis answered. “Until we have good scientific evidence, I would have to come down on the non-reactionary side.” Davis and ATSDR environmental health scientist Michelle Colledge presented an update of an ongoing study of Washington County’s air quality to approximately 60 community members in the McDonough Center auditorium. MORE: http://newsandsentinel.com/articles.asp?articleID=8776
September 23, 200618 yr From the 9/21/06 ABJ: EPA decision on soot levels could hit area Agency to rule on limits within days By Bob Downing Beacon Journal staff writer What the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decides to do about soot could be the agency's most important decision of the year. The agency faces a court-imposed deadline Wednesday afternoon to decide whether to keep federal limits on microscopic soot steady; modestly tighten them, as the agency has proposed; or order even bigger reductions in soot levels. The decision by EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson, to be announced as early as today, will have a major impact on Ohio and the Akron-Canton-Cleveland area. It could trigger restrictions on Ohio's coal-burning power plants, industrial smokestacks and diesel-powered and gasoline-fueled vehicles to comply with tighter limits by 2015. It could boost the number of Ohio counties in violation by five with the addition of the Toledo and Youngstown areas. In December, the EPA proposed a modest tightening of limits. That triggered fire from politicians and industry groups who see the changes as too strict, costly and unneeded, and from environmental and health groups who see them as not going far enough. MORE: http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/15571003.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news
September 23, 200618 yr From the 9/22/06 ABJ: EPA revises limits on soot By Bob Downing Beacon Journal staff writer The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday adopted new limits on tiny soot that might be a threat to public health. The limits announced in a teleconference by EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson were immediately assailed by industry as being too strict and unneeded and by environmental-health groups as not going far enough. Johnson hailed the new limits, calling them the "best health-protection decision.'' The EPA action could result in Northeast Ohio failing to comply with tighter soot limits in 2010. The region already has failed to meet one of two federal soot limits. The soot problems could trigger new restrictions on Ohio's coal-burning power plants, smokestack industries and vehicles, both diesel- and gasoline-powered. MORE: http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/state/15580938.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news
March 1, 200718 yr From the 1/8/07 ABJ: Ohio digs deep to solve CO2 problem By Bob Downing Beacon Journal staff writer Stung by its failure to land a $1 billion experimental nonpolluting coal-burning power plant, Ohio is preparing to drill a deep geological test well this spring that could play an important role in fighting global warming. The 9,000-foot-deep borehole will better identify underground formations capable of sequestering, or storing, carbon dioxide, a heat-trapping gas identified as the No. 1 global warming culprit. Storage of carbon dioxide, or CO2, is "a very important tool... and one we have to have if we are going to meet global warming reductions,'' said Ohio-based Kurt Waltzer of the Clean Air Task Force, a national environmental organization. The $2.3 million drilling project -- called the Ohio Stratigraphic Borehole -- will take place in Tuscarawas, Carroll or Meigs county. A decision on the exact site has not yet been made. MORE: http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/state/16408738.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news
April 20, 200718 yr From the 1/19/07 Dispatch: Franklin County, 5 others may be taken off smog list Friday, January 19, 2007 Spencer Hunt THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Columbus and surrounding communities might soon be removed from a list of smogridden cities. Officials at the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency said yesterday that central Ohio's air already meets a health standard for smog that the U.S EPA wanted Ohio and other states to reach by 2009. Now, the state wants the U.S. EPA to take Franklin, Delaware, Fairfield, Knox, Licking and Madison counties off its list. Cleaner exhaust from newer cars and recent pollution cuts at Ohio's coal-burning power plants helped Columbus stay under the smog limit, said Bill Spires, a manager in the Ohio EPA's air-pollution control program. Businesses could have faced tougher pollution limits if the air didn't meet the standard by June 15, 2009. State and local government officials also could have lost money for highway projects. "This is good news for our region," said Laura Koprowski, spokeswoman for the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. MORPC has been working with environmental advocates and industry leaders to come up with a plan to meet the new standard. She said the group's work isn't done. "We're not out of the woods," Koprowski said. "We have to ensure that our air stays clean." MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/contentbe/dispatch/2007/01/19/20070119-G1-04.html
April 20, 200718 yr From the 1/28/07 Dispatch: * GRAPHIC: Smog makers COMMON CHEMICALS Smog-fighters focus on glue, hair spray ... Sunday, January 28, 2007 Spencer Hunt THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Cars and power plants are the prime culprits behind Ohio's smog problems. But the state's latest effort to clear the unhealthful haze from summer skies focuses on such products as hair sprays, deodorants, furniture polish, glass cleaners and even urinal cakes. Estimates indicate that these products release about 100 tons of smog-forming chemicals into Ohio's air every day. Throw in cars and mowers, gas stations, dry cleaners and paint, and the amount grows by more than tenfold, says the Lake Michigan Air Directors Consortium, which offers technical assistance on air-pollution issues to officials in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/contentbe/dispatch/2007/01/28/20070128-A1-02.html
April 20, 200718 yr From the 3/23/07 Times-Reporter: Test site near Port? By PAUL E. KOSTYU, Copley Columbus Bureau Chief COLUMBUS – Tuscarawas County appears to be a leading candidate for a carbon dioxide sequestration test site. The 9,000-foot deep well, the deepest ever drilled in Ohio, could open an area near Port Washington to economic development for companies that generate carbon dioxide, which would be pumped into the ground instead of the atmosphere. Last year, a 750-acre site north of Rt. 36 near Port Washington and another site in Meigs County were the state’s entries in a competition for a federal project called FutureGen, a $1 billion electric coal-fired power plant with zero emissions. The government is expected to pick a final site in Illinois or Texas for that project sometime this summer. The state is considering three sites for the test well – in Tuscarawas, Carroll and Meigs counties. But the Meigs site is under option to a company that could locate a coal-to- liquid fuel plant there and the Carroll site originally was rejected by the state’s FutureGen task force for being too close to a dam. MORE: http://www.timesreporter.com/index.php?ID=65730&r=3
April 20, 200718 yr From the 3/30/07 ABJ: Tuscarawas site to hold research well Storing carbon dioxide might cut pollution By Bob Downing Beacon Journal staff writer Ohio intends to drill a nearly 9,000-foot-deep borehole in southern Tuscarawas County to develop a means of fighting global warming and boosting Ohio's clean-coal efforts. The $2.3 million test well -- called the Ohio StratigraphicBorehole -- will be drilled about two miles northeast of Port Washington in Salem Township, Gov. Ted Strickland announced Thursday. The site was chosen over places in Carroll and Meigs counties by scientists from Battelle, the Columbus research facility, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The borehole is designed to identify underground geological formations capable of sequestering, or storing, carbon dioxide, a gas identified as the No. 1 source of global warming. Storing carbon dioxide underground is seen by many as a means by which Ohio coal could still be used for energy -- without adding to global warming. Drilling is scheduled to begin between April and July with testing conducted for several months after that. The entire project, including analysis of the data collected, is scheduled for completion by late 2008. Evidence indicates that Ohio is well positioned for such boreholes because of deep saline formations where the carbon dioxide could be safely stored and nearby rock layers that would seal it underground, once the technologies are fully developed to capture emissions. The carbon dioxide would be pumped underground under pressure as a liquid, not a gas. If the test well confirms favorable conditions for carbon dioxide storage, it could lead to future industrial development in the Port Washington region, state officials said. MORE: http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/16998938.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news
April 20, 200718 yr From Business First of Columbus, 4/9/07: Clean-coal technology gets a lift Business First of Columbus - April 6, 2007 by Jeff Bell Business First With help from Battelle Memorial Institute, the state is ready to begin a $2.3 million project to study a way to energize the development of clean-coal technology. The Strickland administration has selected a site in eastern Ohio where scientists from Battelle and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources will drill deep into the earth to determine if carbon dioxide emissions generated by industries can be stored underground instead of released into the air. Drilling is scheduled to begin by summer with a report on the findings to be completed by the end of 2008. The work will be done at a test site near the village of Port Washington in Tuscarawas County. MORE: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/04/09/story4.html
April 20, 200718 yr From the 4/4/07 Dispatch: * GRAPHIC: How Ohio compares CARBON DIOXIDE Emissions fight puts Ohio in tough spot Wednesday, April 4, 2007 3:36 AM By Spencer Hunt THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Ohioans could find themselves paying higher electricity bills and more for their cars as the federal government begins to confront global warming. Ohio-based power plants, cars, trucks, factories, businesses and homes spewed an estimated 287.3 million tons of carbon dioxide into Earth's atmosphere in 2003. That ranked Ohio fourth worst among states for the key greenhouse gas. And it makes the state a battleground in a growing political fight that could pit power companies and carmakers against Washington lawmakers looking to set the first limits on carbon dioxide. On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal government has the authority to limit carbon dioxide from cars, further opening the door to stricter regulations for all sources. Environmentalists expect to see a bill in Congress before summer. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/04/04/Ohclimate.ART_ART_04-04-07_A1_S869H5K.html
April 20, 200718 yr From the 4/13/07 Enquirer: Ohio's carbon emissions near top BY JON CRAIG | [email protected] COLUMBUS - Ohio is the fourth-leading producer among the states of pollution that causes global warming, according to a new study. Environment Ohio, a public advocacy group, reported the ranking Thursday in a national study of carbon dioxide emissions. Since 1990, Ohio's carbon dioxide emissions increased by 7 percent, primarily from coal-burning power plants and cars, the study found. Indiana placed sixth and Kentucky 12th among the nation's dirtiest states. States with the lowest emissions of the so-called greenhouse gas were Vermont, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Idaho and Hawaii. Using data compiled by the U.S. Department of Energy, the study examined trends in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel consumption through 2004, the most recent year for which state-by-state data are available. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070413/NEWS01/704130419/1059/rss13
April 20, 200718 yr From the 4/15/07 Dispatch: TRACKING CO2 EMISSIONS State EPA warms to pollution alliance Strickland appointee backs climate registry Sunday, April 15, 2007 Spencer Hunt THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH While the world has debated global warming for decades, the agency sworn to protect Ohio's environment has remained stubbornly silent. That might change. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is poised to take its first small step into the fray by considering joining the U.S. Climate Registry. The multistate effort would ask businesses to track and report carbon-dioxide emissions, said Chris Korleski, who was named Ohio EPA director in January. "It's a gentle introduction to global warming," he said. Ohio has a big stake in the debate. Power plants, cars, trucks, factories and homes in the state released an estimated 287.3 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2003, enough to rank Ohio fourth in the U.S. Critics say the U.S. EPA and the Department of Energy already provide emission estimates and that states need to instead limit carbon dioxide, a so-called greenhouse gas tied to warming and climate change. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/contentbe/dispatch/2007/04/15/20070415-C1-02.html
June 20, 200717 yr Ohio EPA submits draft plan for Cincinnati area June 18, 2007 | CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER CINCINNATI - A proposal to bring Greater Cincinnati into compliance with federal clean air standards has been drafted by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The plan was submitted Monday to the U.S. EPA, the Ohio EPA said in a news release. It includes requirements such as the use of cleaner paints, architectural coatings, portable gas cans and consumer products; and lower emissions from coal-burning power plants. The EPA already has replaced the E-Check emission testing with cleaner gasoline and other rules on local industries. The Cincinnati area, including Hamilton, Butler, Clermont, Warren and Clinton counties, was rated as a "nonattainment area" in 2004, and has until June 2009 to come into full compliance with federal air standards. The Ohio EPA will hold a hearing on the draft plan July 23, 2:30 p.m., at the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments office, 720 Pete Rose Way. For information on the plan, see www.epa.state.oh.us/dapc/, and click on "state implementation plan" under the "topics" drop-down box.
July 2, 200717 yr New rules aim for healthier air Summer emissions in Greater Cincinnati targeted BY MARGARET A. MCGURK | CINCINNATI ENQUIRER July 2, 2007 CINCINNATI - Clean air comes from big solutions - such as the reformulated gas everyone around Cincinnati will be buying next summer. But little things help, too. Walk into a hardware store today to ask for a new gas can and what comes back might look strange. Under a rule from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency that took effect Sunday, portable gas containers must be spill-proof and impermeable by vapor. The regulations, based on California standards, call for a spout that shuts off when the container is full and that closes automatically when not in use. In addition, the body of the container cannot allow any vapor to escape. The results, which cost about twice as much as non-spill-proof versions, can feel a little clumsy, said Grant Kernan, a spokesman for Blitz USA, which makes fuel containers. "Meeting those regulations called for a design that is not particularly intuitive," said Kernan.
July 10, 200717 yr Good Hair, Bad Air Smog plan will regulate consumer products BY DREW GIBSON | CITY BEAT July 9, 2007 CINCINNATI - There is a direct connection between deodorants and hair-care products and smog, according to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA). OEPA will hold a public hearing July 23 to outline its plans to bring the Cincinnati area into compliance with the federal Clean Air Act. One of the key aspects of this plan is "different formulations in consumer products that don't contribute to ozone production," says Heidi Griesmer, spokeswoman for OEPA. The plan involves changing products such as adhesives, both aerosol and non-aerosol anti-perspirants, air fresheners, lighter fluid, furniture cleaners and various hair products to be more environmentally friendly. "It requires the manufacturers to create the same products but with different formulations," Griesmer says. The new formulations would have lower levels of volatile organic compounds, which contribute to the accumulation of ozone in the air. "We have been regulating sources of ozone-causing emissions for decades, and standards get tighter," Griesmer says. "We've already gone to the big manufacturers ... (who) are only responsible for 11 percent of the ozone problem." The OEPA PUBLIC HEARING on its plan for Greater Cincinnati is at 2:30 p.m. July 23 at the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments, 720 Pete Rose Way, Downtown. For a copy of the plan, visit epa.state.oh.us/dapc.
July 11, 200717 yr It's interesting that whenever these "smog alerts" are issued, the precautions include warning to the elderly or people with asthma, don't mow your lawn, don't fill you gas tank during the heat of the day, etc.... But when have you ever heard these warnings even suggest that people should refrain from doing the one thing that produces the majority of the smog in the first place.... driving their cars? Why not tell people to use mass transit or tele-commute on ozone alert days? I even checked with my local MPO and even they don't make that suggestion when they issue the alerts in the first place. With still half a year left, smog alerts tie '06 total Wednesday, July 11, 2007 3:40 AM By Spencer Hunt THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH After taking a few summers off, smog has settled back in central Ohio. So far this year, air-quality officials have announced six health alerts. That matches last year's total and comes at a time when families across the area are enjoying cookouts, the pool and sending their children to play summer sports. There were eight alerts in 2005 and four in 2004, according to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, which issues the warnings. Smog forms when hot weather, stagnant air and pollution from cars, trucks, power plants and factories converge. Experts say there was one ingredient missing last summer. "We're having more hot days earlier," said Judy Kress of the Central Ohio Breathing Association. "And we're feeling the effects when that hot weather creates the smog." All the alerts this year were for small children, seniors and people with breathing problems. Those susceptible are told to curtail outdoor activity or avoid going outside altogether. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/07/11/smog.ART_ART_07-11-07_A1_HL78JR1.html
July 19, 200717 yr Region now lone ozone violator BY KEVIN EIGELBACH | CINCINNATI POST July 19, 2007 Northern Kentucky soon will be the only region of the commonwealth that exceeds the federal eight-hour standard for ground-level ozone. Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency agreed that the Louisville metro area had met the standard. The Kentucky Division for Air Quality has asked the EPA to find Boyd County - around Ashland, in northeastern Kentucky - in attainment as well, director John Lyons said. He said he expects that to happen any time. When it does, Northern Kentucky alone will be out of attainment. The three Northern Kentucky counties of Boone, Kenton and Campbell are not the problem, Lyons said. An ozone monitor in Warren County, Ohio, is. "It just went over the standard again for the three-year period of '05, '06 and '07," Lyons said. "They make this determination on an area-wide basis. All it takes is one monitor." Kentucky regulators think the levels of ozone are actually decreasing in Northern Kentucky, but because the EPA considers the three counties as part of the Cincinnati metropolitan region and because air quality in southwest Ohio side doesn't meet the standard, they're technically on the non-attainment list.
September 24, 200717 yr Northeast Ohio may modify diesel engines to reduce soot AKRON, Ohio (AP) -- Retrofitting diesel engines to make them cleaner may be the most significant step that northeast Ohio can take to reduce soot pollution in the air, and two regional planning agencies are considering recommending the potentially costly modifications. The groups see the move as a way to help counties bring air quality standards into compliance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations by a 2010 deadline. Northeast Ohio needs a framework in place to retrofit private and public diesel vehicles, said Jason Segedy of the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study, which is compiling a list of recommendations for how the region can come into compliance with EPA standards for small particles in the air. The fine particles come from diesel engines, coal-fired power plants and factory emissions and can be harmful because they settle deep inside the lungs, potentially causing breathing and heart problems. Children and the elderly are especially susceptible. MORE: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OH_SOOT_SOLUTIONS_OHOL-?SITE=WBNSTV&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
November 7, 200717 yr SCIENCE Going underground Concerned that CO2 contributes to global warming, scientists drill a deep hole to see if they can bury the problem Tuesday, November 6, 2007 3:34 AM By Kevin Mayhood THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Deep down, geologists believe Ohio has what it takes. A preliminary look more than a mile and a half into the ground shows rock formations that might be able to hold carbon dioxide produced by coal-burning power plants, steelmakers and other manufacturers. While the long-term future of coal is being debated, both sides say that as long as we burn the fossil fuel, pumping the carbon dioxide underground is much better than releasing it into the air. Scientists say carbon dioxide is the key greenhouse gas that causes global warming. Coal produces more carbon dioxide than other fuels to produce equal amounts of energy. The Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership, which includes Ohio, estimates there is enough underground storage capacity to hold hundreds of years' worth of carbon dioxide produced in a seven-state region. "The results look promising at this location," said Philip Jagucki, program manger for carbon-dioxide sequestration at Battelle, which heads up the Ohio borehole project. MORE: http://dispatch.com/live/content/science/stories/2007/11/06/sci_borehole.ART_ART_11-06-07_B4_NN8ARQL.html?sid=101
March 13, 200817 yr LOWER OZONE STANDARD New smog limits put Ohio on notice Thursday, March 13, 2008 3:29 AM By H. Josef Hebert WASHINGTON -- The air in hundreds of U.S. counties simply is too dirty to breathe, the government said yesterday, ordering a multibillion-dollar expansion of efforts to clean up smog in cities and towns nationwide. The federal action, which lowers ozone limits for the atmosphere, means that 345 counties -- out of more than 700 that are monitored, including some in central Ohio -- now will be in violation of the health requirement, about four times as many as under the old rules. Health experts say smog under the current ozone regulation -- even in areas where the limit is being met -- causes hundreds of premature deaths among the elderly and health problems for thousands of young children and people with asthma and other respiratory illnesses. MORE: http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/13/ap_dirty_air.ART_ART_03-13-08_A1_SB9KK41.html?sid=101
September 16, 20186 yr Air pollution particles found in mothers' placentas New research shows direct evidence that toxic air – already strongly linked to harm in unborn babies – travels through mothers’ bodies https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/16/air-pollution-particles-found-in-mothers-placentas "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 10, 20205 yr This isn't my photo but it's from this morning, April 9, 2020. Look at how brilliant that sky is. I can't over-emphasize how much better the air quality has become in and around Cincinnati since the virus shut-down. We'll see official statistics at some point in the future but it's safe to say that automobile/truck traffic is down at least 50% and commercial aviation is down even more. It took 1-2 weeks for everything to blow away or settle (and stop blowing this way from other cities), but now I'm seeing the sort of vivid colors you associate with remote areas. Even more surprisingly, it smells like we're in the country.
April 10, 20205 yr Yeah, very clear outside. Everything looks sharp and well-defined. I don't think I've ever experienced this honestly. The closest I'd say was playing against Vinton County HS in tennis a couple times in the '90s. If you get too close to the Ohio River things get smoggy again. The only time I've been out West was L.A. Western Virginia is about the only other place I've been that's maybe like this.
April 10, 20205 yr ^Theres a ton of evidence that decreased traffic and industry is having a hugely positive effect on air quality. Coming out of all this, a lot of NGOs and governments (OK, not the USA) are going to be looking at this and saying “do we really have to go back to how it was before?” . Sone things will be different. My hovercraft is full of eels
April 10, 20205 yr 2 minutes ago, roman totale XVII said: ^Theres a ton of evidence that decreased traffic and industry is having a hugely positive effect on air quality. Coming out of all this, a lot of NGOs and governments (OK, not the USA) are going to be looking at this and saying “do we really have to go back to how it was before?” . Sone things will be different. I agree, and to get to this point we didn't need to get completely off fossil fuels, just do a significant reduction. I remember what this part of the country was like in the 1980s, back before we got rid of leaded gas and smoke stacks weren't for decoration. After the passage of the Clean Air Act, there was a dramatic improvement by the late 1990s. But what we're seeing now is at least as much of a jump. The coal power plants are still going and there are still a lot of semi trailers on the road. Trains are the same. What we've gotten rid of is the jets and all of the idling traffic. This is as strong of an argument as can be made for electrifying the railroads and adding passenger trains to reduce freight rail emissions + long drives and short-distance jet travel. In the cities, electrifying the bus fleets will help. Dayton of course has electric buses but that by itself isn't enough for things to be noticeably better there.
April 10, 20205 yr The parts of town with the wires aren't nearly as big of a part of the Dayton RTA as without them since the economy got pulled out to 675.
April 10, 20205 yr The air quality is definitely changing fast. The skies have been really blue here in Chicago as well. My sister lives south of LAX in Redondo Beach CA up on a hill. She can see the Hollywood sign right now from her back deck. Something she said has not happened since they moved in, in the late 90's. Not sure what the mileage is as the crow flies, but a driving map on Google puts Redondo Beach to the Hollywood sign at 30 miles. I'll ask her to send me a pic
April 10, 20205 yr I wouldn't be surprised if the peak of average air quality in the U.S. was the late '90s. Cars and industry had cleaned up significantly yet the number SUVs/bigass trucks was far lower, the last big round of sprawl was yet to come and the massive increase in semis on the road since then hadn't happened. The late '90s is a number you hear thrown around a lot, really.
April 10, 20205 yr 9 minutes ago, metrocity said: The air quality is definitely changing fast. The skies have been really blue here in Chicago as well. My sister lives south of LAX in Redondo Beach CA up on a hill. She can see the Hollywood sign right now from her back deck. Something she said has not happened since they moved in, in the late 90's. Not sure what the mileage is as the crow flies, but a driving map on Google puts Redondo Beach to the Hollywood sign at 30 miles. I'll ask her to send me a pic I also would have guessed 30 miles but per the Google Earth measure tool it's 19-21 miles depending on where, specifically she lives.
April 10, 20205 yr ^That makes sense, looking on the map I figured more like 20 miles actual distance. I've been there, and you were lucky to see the skyscrapers of downtown let alone the Hollywood sign. She's pretty high up. They bought it for the million dollar view. The house is a nice little 1950's ranch house. It's a tear down to the next buyer.
April 10, 20205 yr The cold front that swept through last night dropped the relative humidity to near desert levels, so don't discount that as a factor too. Houston has been described as having a white sky, not because of pollution, but because it's so humid.
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