Rep. Robert F. Hagan
COLUMBUS — “State Rep. Robert F. Hagan (D-Youngstown) and state Sen. Michael J. Skindell (D-Lakewood) today introduced companion legislation addressing the concerns of many Ohioans regarding the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing by the oil and gas industry. The bills, House Bill 596 and Senate Bill 379, propose to reverse the gag order that was placed on medical professionals through SB 315, and expand the reporting requirements for oil and gas well permits.
‘It’s bad public health policy for legislators to take prescriptions from the oil and gas industry, and that’s exactly what they did when writing the gag order,’ said Hagan in a prepared statement. ‘Ohioans would be better served by doctors deciding what is right for their patients, not by oil and gas executives trying to suppress vital medical information. We certainly don’t use family physicians to operate rotary rigs, so I don’t see why we should let oil tycoons decide what kind of information is medically necessary.’
The legislation would also expand how medical professionals can access the chemical information they need to properly treat their patients. Additionally, if enacted, the bills would broaden the reasons for which a medical professional can request this information and the ways in which a patient can be deemed adversely affected.”
— The Business Journal
