Reminder: last chance to submit a comment on Oil & Gas rules

Once every five years, ODNR is required to update its Oil and Gas rules. The agency has begun its latest review and is holding a two-week public comment period that ends tomorrow!

I only learned of this comment period because our team is subscribed to receive email updates on rules and regulations from RuleWatch Ohio. We received only one email regarding this comment period on the day that it opened. When I read the email and learned of this important public comment opportunity, I immediately reached out to others in our network to find out if anyone knew about it. No one did.

It is unacceptable for this state regulatory agency to hold such a short comment period on something of such great consequence and to do so little to publicize it. 

Alarmingly, ODNR has proposed NO CHANGE to nine rules, and if they don't change during this update, we will be stuck with them for the next five years.

BEN and our partners have made a great effort to get the word out over the past week, so that the public can weigh in before it's too late and we hope you will join us in taking action:

Send an email to DOGRM.Rules@dnr.ohio.gov
CSIPublicComments@governor.ohio.gov

Here's some suggested language. We encourage you to personalize and/or add to it!

Dear ODNR Staff and Common Sense Initiative representatives,

I am writing to request that you extend the two-week comment period in order to give the public adequate time to review and comment on these nine rules that will have a significant impact on  Ohio's environment and public health over the next five years.

No change is not acceptable, and the rules must be updated to reflect current conditions and contemporary science.

Sincerely,

[your name]

This comment period is our best shot at pushing for meaningful change, but ODNR held only a two-week comment period, which was only publicized on the Ohio Register, and not on ODNR's website or any news outlets, meaning very few people even know that it is happening.

I urge you to take a moment to submit a comment today, Monday, August 3rd deadline and tell ODNR to do a full review, of the following administrative rules: