State Legislation Allows Radioactive Waste From Shale Sites to Go Into Landfills

摘要

Radioactive waste from shale drilling sites may go into solid waste landfills under Ohio's biennial budget bill (Am. Sub. H.B. 59), which recently took effect. A narrow definition . of technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials (TENORM) will exempt about 80 percent of drilling waste from testing, creating a new waste stream threatening significant human health impacts, Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) Director of Water Quality Melanie Houston told BNA July 2, a day after the provision took effect. OEC and the Sierra Club had asked lawmakers to remove the provision from the state budget bill and consider the policy in separate "stand-alone" legislation to allow more time for study and debate (44 ER 1500, 5/17/13).