Ohio Trial Court Rejects Local Drilling Ban
Relying on the recent authority in State ex rel. Morrison v. Beck Energy Corp., the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court struck down a local Ohio drilling ban. In Bass Energy, Inc. v. City of Broadview Heights, the court held that a charter amendment prohibiting new oil and gas drilling was in conflict with Ohio’s comprehensive statutes regulating oil and gas drilling. Because the local ban conflicted with the statewide regulatory scheme, it did not meet the requirements of Ohio’s Home Rule Amendment and was ruled to be unenforceable. The court specifically stated that the charter amendment was an invalid exercise of Broadview Heights’ home rule authority.