Green Team

An Update: Ohio Legislature Gives Tax Relief to Solar, Wind and Other Renewable Energy Producers

Kenneth P. Kreider — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:00:00 -0400

To update the earlier posting, please note that yesterday Ohio Governor Strickland signed Senate Bill 232 with an emergency clause, making the new law effective June 17, 2010.

Ohio Legislature Gives Tax Relief to Solar, Wind and Other Renewable Energy Producers

Kenneth P. Kreider — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:00:00 -0400

In the wee hours on Friday, June 4, 2010, the Ohio House adopted Amended Senate Bill 232 which was designed to provide a personal property tax exemption to owners of renewable energy projects.

New Surface Water Requirements for Construction Sites

Jill A. Weller — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:00:00 -0400

On December 1, 2009, U.S. EPA adopted new rules which establish the first national standards for the control of pollutants (sediment, turbidity and nutrients) discharged via stormwater from construction sites to surface waters.

U.S. EPA’s new rules will impact residential and commercial construction and development companies, as well as those entities involved in highway, street and bridge construction. These entities are already required to obtain a stormwater discharge permit (usually from a state agency, but sometimes from U.S. EPA) and to employ certain control measures to manage stormwater discharges to surface water.

USGBC Announces Top 10 Pieces of Green Building Legislation

Geoffrey G. Leder — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 12:00:00 -0500

The US Green Building Council recently released its "Top Ten Pieces of Green Building Legislation in the 111th Congress." Interestingly enough, only one of these pieces of legislation has actually been passed into law, and that is the often discussed American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (see our previous summary of that legislation).

Court Overturns Ohio Minor Emission Source Exemption

Brian M. Babb — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:00:00 -0500

In a decision that will affect many businesses with small emission sources, on February 2, 2010, a federal district magistrate for the U.S. District Court, in Sierra Club v. Christopher Korleski, Case No. 2:08-CV-865 (U.S. District Court, Ohio), ruled that Ohio’s New Source Review (NSR) exemption for minor emission sources was invalid.

Tags: Environmental Law, Green Team

Update on Cincinnati Environmental Justice Ordinance

Brian M. Babb — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:00:00 -0500

On February 10, 2010, the Cincinnati City Counsel approved an ordinance to formally delay the effective date of the City’s new environmental justice ordinance until February 1, 2011. Implementation and enforcement of the ordinance was delayed due to a lack of funding. The ordinance will require new or expanding manufacturing facilities to obtain an environmental justice permit.

Tags: Environmental Law, Green Team

Update on Cincinnati Environmental Justice Ordinance

Brian M. Babb — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:00:00 -0500

As of December 21, 2009, it will become more difficult to build a new manufacturing facility or expand an existing one in the City of Cincinnati. The law which will take effect is the Cincinnati Environmental Justice Ordinance and is believed to be the only one of its kind in the United States.

Tags: Environmental Law, Green Team

Cap and Trade Delayed, Mandatory Green House Gas Reporting Is Here for Some

David A. Meyer — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0500

With federal health care reform garnering most of the attention these days, it seems fairly certain we will not see a Cap and Trade law for greenhouse gas emissions out of Washington any time soon. Nonetheless, some companies will still find themselves subject to mandatory reporting requirements for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2010.