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Ohio: Department Of Natural Resources

June 1, 2009 - 01:24 pm
NEWS FEED: Columbus Dispatch

Drilling reform advances

By Spencer Hunt

"It went up and came back down on the foundation," said Thelma Payne, 85. "That was a very rude awakening."

The same could be said for state lawmakers, environmentalists and oil and gas industry lobbyists, who now refer to the explosion and evacuation of 19 nearby homes in Geauga County as the "Bainbridge incident."

The December 2007 explosion was caused when a cloud of natural gas in the basement ignited. No one was injured. State mining regulators found that gas from an improperly drilled oil and gas well leaked into groundwater and then into area basement water wells.

As a result, state lawmakers plan to advance a bill that would impose new restrictions and higher fees on oil and gas wells.

Read More at Columbus Dispatch >
There have been 44 comments posted in response to this story.

February 2, 2009 - 12:40 pm
NEWS FEED: Columbus Dispatch

Strickland proposes cutting state workers' pay by up to 6%

By Darrel Rowland

With federal stimulus funds earmarked to provide more than 5 percent of the revenue, the state budget would grow to nearly $55 billion over the next two years under a plan rolled out by the Strickland administration this morning.

State Budget Director J. Pari Sabety said the budget calls for "difficult choices and shared sacrifice." Some areas were cut from 5 to 20 percent of previous spending levels.

The proposal calls for across-the-board pay cuts of up to 6 percent, depending on what employees earn. This would apply to both union and non-union workers under control of the government office. The budget also provides for lower state payments for employee health care, too.

Read More at Columbus Dispatch >
There have been 24 comments posted in response to this story.