According to a June 2 article in the Columbus Dispatch, House Bill 175, introduced by Rep. Brett Hudson Hillyer (R-Uhrichsville), would seek to remove environmental protections from ephemeral streams. These are streams that only flow after rain or snow melt. This follows a Trump Administration change that strips the federal law from protecting ephemeral streams as part of the U.S. EPA’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule. Ohio’s EPA protections would have still held protection in place. Until, that is, HB 175. After several hearings, the law could be headed to a committee vote in early June.
Several environmental groups, including Sierra Club Ohio, oppose HB 175. "They don't flow all year round, but they still have a bank, a bed and a channel. They still convey water and nutrients. ... They're really important for organisms, and they're extremely important for water quality,” said Mažeika Sullivan, professor of Ohio State University's School of Environment and Natural Resources.
We should urge Ohioans to contact their representatives to voice their concerns.
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