The Green Environmental Coalition (GEC) is a Midwestern, non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the public participation that will preserve, protect and restore our environment.
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GEC Newsletter, Spring, 1996

Containing Hazardous Waste
This past fall and winter the Coalition mounted a lobbying effort to keep Ohio HB 435 from gutting existing regulation of hazardous waste facilities and Boilers and Industrial Furnaces (BIFs) that burn hazardous waste. To date the bill has been revised and passed with bipartisan support through the House and out of Senate committee for Senate floor action. Originally a strongly pro
- business bill, it now includes several plusses for the environment:

- Increased public participation on permit modifications brought before the OEPA
- Increased strength of the evidentiary process in appeals. Citizens can now introduce evidence for the record in public hearings that can serve as a basis for appeals.
- BIF's have been brought into full review by HWFB, the key siting agency in Ohio, thus expanding HWFB's important regulatory role in the haz
- waste playing field.

Our efforts have been well received by the regulatory community and the legislature.
Forging a Green Link
Forging a Green Link
How many times have we duplicated previous effort to locate the right OEPA official or legislator? How many times have we desperately needed ready access to the other environmental groups in Ohio on an important issue? The Coalition is hoping to solve the problem through the wonders of the internet. We are readying an information exchange program, called GreenLink, that will help all groups committed to the environment. Some features:

- GreenNews: Environmental news from around the country
- GreenWatch: An eye on legislation affecting the environment
- GreenForums: Open discussion forums on environmental topics
- GreenGuides: A grassroots guide to who's who in the legislature, the regulatory agencies, and the advocacy organizations
- GreenLinks: Links from our server to other environmental resources on the internet.
- Other Services: GreenLink will also host interactive home pages for other environmental advocacy organizations and provide special E-Mail addresses to GreenLink members at a nominal fee.
Equalizing E-Check
GEC has decided to appeal a recent EPA decision that undermines OEPA's air pollution program (E-Check). While most are familiar with the required auto emissions testing in several Ohio counties, many may not be aware that gas stations in these counties must also provide special gas pumps to minimize emissions. Ohio EPA Director Shregardus has proposed new rules to exempt stations selling under 100,000 gallons per month. We say, if cars are to be held in compliance, regardless of the amount driven or the ability of the owner to pay, then service stations must be held to the same standard!

We invite folks to work with us on this project. We will need your help in a variety of ways as this project develops. Call us at 513-767-2109 or contact us at our E-Mail address: gec@greenlink.org

Gracias, Gracias, Gracias
The Coalition extends special thanks to two friends of the environment. Carl Root, owner of Copy Depot in Yellow Springs, and Bob Bingenheimer, graphic arts designer in Yellow Springs, have made important contributions to the work of the Coalition that enable us to do our job more effectively. Carl and Bob, you have our grateful thanks!!!!
Dumping Rad Waste...in Ohio?
In 1995 the Ohio legislature passed a bill in which Ohio agrees to build a gigantic dump for low-level radioactive waste generated not only in Ohio but in five other states as well. The Coaltion believes Ohioans should decide by direct vote whether to allow Ohio to become a host state for the Midwest Compact's low level radioactive waste dump. We are therefore working to support the petition drive to get this issue on the ballot. Voters can then decide the fate of this issue.
Stepping Up to the Environmental Plate
In addition to the initiatives already mentioned, the Coaltion has been active in the following issues in recent months:

- Providing input and comment on the Ohio's Clean Air Act Rules (which was largely ignored).
- Participating (unsuccessfully) in OEPA rule-making on scrap tire disposal.
- Testifying and working with legislators and the OEPA to block the implementation of the so-called anti-degradation bill (the rules passed, but barely. Some of our legislatures were paying attention).
- Working with the OEPA and Southdown Co. concerning a new air permit for the company's nearby cement kiln. The Coaltion is opposed to any increased air emissions and the burning of tires at this Southdown facility.
Bonner Scholars at GEC
Antioch College students interested in the environment intern with the Coaltion through the college's Bonner Scholar program. Each quarter several young people pursue their interests and fine-tune their skills with our group. We are grateful for the students' commitment and contributions to our mission.
Coalition Affiliate Hard at Work
In nearby Clark County, a very busy affiliate group, the Clark County Citizens' Coalition, has been working hard in the community of South Charleston. Among their activities:

- Working to keep the Little Miami River, which headwaters in their area, a resource of great natural beauty
- Developing a Clark County Re
- Use Recycling Center
- Monitoring health conditions in the village
- Monitoring fire and other problems in a local wood mulch facility
Do Air Force Bases Have HazMat Problems?
The answer is yes, at least at nearby Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Of the 65 sites that have been identified so far, 31 remain for remediation. Sites include landfills, spill sites, fire training areas, disposal/burial sites, and earthfill disposal zones. Coaltion President, Tracy Slayton, serves on the Restoration Advisory Board, which oversees the identification and remediation of these sites to prevent adverse effects to human health or the environment.
Calling All Grassroots Groups
We look forward to networking together as we address mutual concerns in our localities, in Ohio and beyond. Please send us your own newsletter if you have one and contact us through the internet if you have access. Mail to PO Box 266, Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387 or contact us by E-Mail
© GreenLink, GreenGuides, Greenwatch, GreenNews, and GreenForums are trademarks of Greene Environmental Coalition, Inc. PO Box 266, Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387.