Ohio's top law enforcer is seeking tougher environmental sanctions on polluters in the oil and gas industry and full disclosure of the chemicals used in the drilling technique called fracking.
In an Associated Press interview Wednesday, Attorney General Mike DeWine further called for his office or another state agency to be empowered to help landowners with complaints about lease agreements for drilling. He said a recent legal review by his staff revealed "Ohio's laws simply are not adequate" in the three areas.
DeWine said civil penalties in the state should be raised from a maximum of $20,000 for the duration of a violation to $10,000 a day. That would bring fines in line with states such as Pennsylvania, Colorado and Texas.
He said other states also require chemicals be disclosed.
Here is how some other states' penalties for violations of environmental, safety and other laws and their chemical disclosure requirements compare to Ohio's:
Ohio:- Civil penalties of $2,500 to $20,000 per violation, regardless of duration.
- No chemical disclosure requirement.
Pennsylvania:- Civil penalties not to exceed $25,000 plus $1,000 per day.
- Chemicals and additives must be disclosed on a well-by-well basis.
Texas:
- Civil penalties not to exceed $10,000 on safety and pollution issues, $1,000 in other cases. Can be imposed on daily or per-violation basis.
- Chemicals must be listed, but not concentrations.
Colorado: - Civil penalties of up to $10,000 per day.
- Chemicals and concentrations must be disclosed, chemical families in cases involving trade secrets.
New York:
- Civil penalties up to $8,000 per violation and $2,000 per day.
- No chemical disclosure requirement.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
