Shale Energy Law Blog

Ohio Agencies Unveil New Legislation on Drilling Wastes

Ohio’s rules governing naturally occurring radioactive waste, already among the most restrictive in the country, may be getting even tighter.  Several Ohio government agencies are proposing legislation that would tighten regulations dealing with radioactive waste generated during oil and gas drilling activities.  Such low-level radioactive material is naturally occurring, and poses little risk to human health.  However, the new rules would require materials with elevated levels of radiation to be disposed of in special landfills, or be treated and undergo testing before being disposed of in regular landfills under the supervision of the state EPA.