Bill > HB522

This bill modifies Ohio's oil and gas laws to enhance local oversight and regulate waste disposal. Key provisions include prohibiting the injection of brine and other waste substances except in designated Class I injection wells, which are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and preventing the conversion of existing oil and gas wells to other uses. Furthermore, the bill mandates that municipalities and townships must approve oil and gas well permit applications before the state can issue them, and it introduces a fee on the injection of brine and other waste substances into Class I injection wells. These changes aim to provide greater local control over oil and gas operations and to ensure more responsible management of waste materials generated by the industry.