On March 14, 2013, the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice and several others, petitioned (“Petition”) U.S. EPA to withdraw the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ (“ODNR”) authority to regulate and enforce Ohio’s Class II Underground Injection Control (“UIC”) program until a full federal audit and investigation of Ohio’s UIC program has been completed. The Petition asserts that, since receiving primacy in 1983, ODNR has failed to effectively administer and enforce the UIC program. Should U.S. EPA decide to act on the Petition and determine that ODNR is not in compliance with program requirements, ODNR will be required to implement remedial actions to correct any deficiencies, otherwise primary authority over the program will revert back to U.S. EPA.
