In a recent mandamus action, the Supreme Court of Ohio had the opportunity to construe Ohio’s saltwater injection well permitting scheme. See State ex rel. Omni Energy Group, L.L.C. v. Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources, Div. of Oil & Gas Resources Mgt., Slip Opinion No. 2020-Ohio-5581. In Omni, the Court discussed whether (1) the Division of Oil & Gas Resources Management had the right to call a public meeting concerning Omni’s permit application, (2) Omni had a right to compel the Division to rule on the validity of objections received to its permit application, and (3) the Division could schedule a hearing on those objections after a certain statutory deadline expired. You can read the Court’s decision here.
