Buckeye Environmental Network’s education on oil and gas waste goes back for more than a decade. We’ve even done webinars here on Halt the Harm! Most recently, we put on a Statehouse Symposium in March of 2025 to engage legislative offices, activists, workers, and academics alike. Since then, landmark legislation has been introduced in Ohio’s Natural Resources Committee by Representative Tristan Rader and Representative Sean Brennan. House Bill 439 would disallow the use of radioactive oil and gas waste brine on roadways in Ohio by means of a simple strikeout of the archaic legislation passed in 1985.
Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ own studies show that this waste contains high amounts of radium-226 and radium-228.These chemicals have half-lives over 1600 years, meaning they accumulate in our soil and water long after they're spread
Ohio Department of Transportation stopped using oil and gas waste products like AquaSalina due to health concerns, but many local governments still apply this waste to roads.
Now is the time to let your friends, family, and fellow activists know that they need to call Representative Monica Robb Blasdel and Representative Tex Fischer and tell them to use their agenda setting powers in the natural resources committee to give this bill as many hearings as possible.
You can find a phone script and representative’s phone numbers here.
There is one conservative legislator from Appalachia openly supporting this bill, calling it “common sense legislation.” From our one on one conversations we know that there are more conservatives that will support HB 439. Stay tuned, because we’re working with Ohio State Senators on companion legislation!
If you know people in Ohio, please ask them to use their voices to push their representatives to give this bill all the hearings possible!
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