Activists in Ohio have won a battle in the ongoing attempts to reduce the damage done by fracking. The U.S. EPA has decided that a 2001 Ohio statute does not satisfy federal reporting requirements.

Ohio Oil and Gas Industry Favoritism

Teresa Mills of Grove City has spearheaded efforts to keep oil and gas companies in Ohio accountable. The statute passed in 2001 clearly favored these industries. Mills notified the EPA concerning this state law after a chemical emergency last January.

Federal law known as the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) requires reporting toxic chemicals to Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs). This keeps firefighters and first responders current on any potential harmful chemicals in the area. In 2001 Ohio passed a code stating that an annual report filed with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (DNR) satisfies all the required EPCRA safeguards instead. The EPA has since determined that these measures are not sufficient and Ohio businesses had until Sep. 2013 to comply.

Ms. Mills said, “Fracking is more than hazardous enough…But removing frackers wholesale from the nation’s basic safeguards against chemical emergencies is beyond the pale. This is the kind of abject corporate favoritism that causes many Ohioans to regard the Ohio legislature with such scorn.”

Fracking, short for hydraulic fracturing, is a process of removing oil and gas from shale rock found in the earth. Waste water is produced as a result and forms at the surface of the drill spot. This waste water can contain harmful chemicals that can be hazardous if not properly contained and disposed.

It seems America is achieving its goals when it comes to energy consumption and conservation. Power usage is on track to decline for the third year in a row, to 10,819 kilowatt-hours per household, says the Energy Information Administration. These are levels last seen in 2001.

Energy Efficiency Advances in Design and Technology

Home Design
States have worked hard in recent years to ensure that homes are better equipped to reduce energy waste. New advances in window and building technologies make homes more efficient. In addition, costs are dropping for these materials, making them more common. Rebate programs for environmental upgrades to older homes have also made these materials more affordable.

Technology
More efficient appliances have led to a decrease in energy consumption, despite an increase in usage of electronic devices among U.S. citizens. Larger items such as refrigerators, air conditioners and washing appliances have continued to increase in efficiency as newer designs are created each year. Inefficient televisions and light bulbs have been replaced by newer LED versions that can save up to 80% on energy.

More work to be done
We could see an even bigger decrease in energy consumption if we didn’t enjoy our little electronic vices. DVRs and game consoles tend to run significant amounts of time each day.

Jennifer Amman, the buildings program director for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, says she is encouraged. “It’s great to see this movement, to see the shift in the national numbers,” she said. “I expect we’ll see greater improvement over time. There is so much more that can be done.”

The Energy Department predicts average residential electricity use per customer will fall again in 2014, by 1 percent.