Ohio Citizen Action

Evacs and drills pared near nuke plants

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:16:14 +0000

NEW YORK, NY — “Without fanfare, the nation’s nuclear power regulators have overhauled community emergency planning for the first time in more than three decades, requiring fewer exercises for major accidents and recommending that fewer people be evacuated right away.

The revamp, the first since the program began after Three Mile Island in 1979, [...]

Drilling rules expand ‘fracking’ disclosures

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:02:23 +0000

COLUMBUS — “Oil and gas drillers would have to disclose more details about the chemicals they use in Utica shale wells under a bill that passed the Ohio Senate yesterday.

Even as lawmakers, drilling regulators and industry officials praised the plan as the toughest in the nation, environmental-advocacy groups said the bill would still allow companies [...]

Ohio Senate passes Kasich fracking bill with medical gag rule added

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:54:19 +0000

COLUMBUS – The Ohio Senate this afternoon passed Gov. John Kasich’s fracking bill, Sub. S.B. 315, by a vote of 27-6. The bill had been amended and passed by the Ohio Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee this morning. Committee Chair, Sen. Shannon Jones, had introduced the bill at Kasich’s request. Sub. S.B. 315 now [...]

Protesters greet FirstEnergy shareholders

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:11:52 +0000

AKRON — “FirstEnergy’s annual meeting of shareholders lasted 10 minutes this morning as the company thwarted protestors who had been bussed in to voice their displeasure against the company.

For the first time, shareholders had to pass through metal detectors to get into the meeting. Board Chairman George Smart conducted the business portion of the meeting [...]

Analysis: Sharks circle McClendon’s Chesapeake

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:56:52 +0000

NEW YORK, NY — “Chesapeake Energy Corp’s increasing shift from bank loans to costly funding is raising fresh questions about how long the spigot of cash will remain open and whether the company can sell enough assets quickly enough to pay for day-to-day operations.

The company’s problems were brought into sharp focus Monday when CEO Aubrey [...]

Fracking should stop until more research can be done

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:28:08 +0000

LANCASTER — “After being offered (and refusing) two lease contracts for possible oil/gas exploration and drilling, we have made serious efforts to find out all we can about the process called hydraulic fracking — including attending two meetings put on by a legal firm that is organizing landowners. We were left with many unanswered questions.

We [...]

SunCoke proposal would force stricter regulations

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:13:05 +0000

Local residents don’t want SunCoke near, but OK with less emissions

SunCoke began charging coal in 60 of their 100 ovens on October on Saturday, October 29, 2011.

MIDDLETOWN — “Stricter emission standards won’t stop SunCoke Energy Middletown from operating in their backyards, but members of a local environmental watchdog group said they will benefit local [...]

Ohio Citizen Action honors Rachael Belz

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:40:38 +0000

Rachael Belz and Wendy McHale

CLEVELAND – Friends and co-workers celebrated Rachael Belz’s sixteen years of work for Ohio Citizen Action at a party in Cincinnati on May 6th. Rachael is leaving the staff to pursue a degree in nursing at the University of Cincinnati, where she plans to build on the interest she has [...]

Moody’s lowers Chesapeake outlook to negative

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:17:47 +0000

NEW YORK, NY — “Moody’s Investors Service lowered its outlook on Chesapeake Energy Corp. CHK +6.35% to negative from stable, citing recent operating results that revealed its large capital spending funding gap this year.

Chesapeake hopes to raise at least $10 billion through asset sales this year as it pares debt and [...]

Record gas use by U.S. utilities fails to drive up price

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:11:38 +0000

CHICAGO, IL — “U.S. utilities led by Southern Co. are burning a record amount of natural gas for generating electricity without triggering a forecasted boost to the fuel’s price from near 10-year lows.

…The historic switch to gas is set to peak this year without fulfilling industry predictions that it would eat up inventory and drive [...]