American Oil and Gas Reporter - April 2020 - 87

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ConventionCoverage: Ohio Oil & Gas Association
Finn, director of government affairs at
Ascent Resources and the chair of OOGA's
Government Affairs Committee, discussed
the presidential race's impact on state
politics, and also indicated that state lawmakers had approached the association
about setback issues, UIC well locations
and road conditions in areas with disposal
wells.
The association is working to see what
can be done to alleviate those issues as
lawmakers contemplate bills that may
include a provision to earmark a portion
of fees to local areas impacted by disposal
well operations, Finn said. "We have concerns with this because it threatens preemption and also sets a precedent to
switch over and let local officials take
control," she related.
OOGA has similar concerns about
HB 401, known as the windmill bill, said
association President Matthew Hammond.
A provision in HB 401 seeks to give
county governments a say in wind farm
placement, he said, which raises questions
about the potential future ramifications
for oil and gas operations' placement.
Although lawmakers indicate oil and
gas will not be included, OOGA fears
such a move eventually can pave the
way for complications from local governments regarding Class II disposal well
locations, Hammond detailed. "We are
not opposing this bill, but we are educating
legislators on why it gives us heartburn,"
he stated.
The association continues to favor
proposals to allow the Ohio Department
of Transportation to lease tracts to companies that have acquired leases on adjacent private land, he said. Such a move
would allow operators to consolidate
tracts and avoid the cumbersome unitization process, Hammond noted.
Political Trends
Meanwhile Ohio legislative leaders
said the outcome of the Democratic presidential primary could affect down-ballot
races, including contests for state House
and Senate seats.
Regardless of which candidate wins
the Democratic nomination, working class
and rural voters appear likely to continue
moving away from Democrats and voting
for GOP candidates, a development that
accelerated under Trump in 2016, indicated
Senate President Larry Obhof, R-Medina.
However, related House Speaker Larry
Householder, R-Glenford, Democratic
appeal was growing in Ohio's suburbs,

OOGA Executive Vice President Matthew Hammond (left) poses a question to Senate
President Larry Obhof (center), R-Medina and House Speaker Larry Householder, RGlenford, during a panel discussion at OOGA's annual convention. Both lawmakers
reflected on a few key trends evident in Ohioans' voting.

which once were considered a worthwhile
battleground for Republicans. Urban and
suburban areas appear entrenched against
Trump, Householder considered, while
GOP candidates in rural areas publicize
photos of themselves with Trump to
bolster their chances.
Regulatory Matters
Ryan Elliott, an attorney at Vorys,
Sater, Seymour and Pease, reviewed
changes in the Waters of the U.S. rule
that originated when President Trump
signed an executive order in February
2017 requiring EPA and the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers to revise a controversial
2015 WOTUS definition that was hung
up in court challenges.
Elliott also updated OOGA on its appeal of the Ohio EPA general stormwater
permit for pipeline construction. When
OOGA initially opposed the permit, OEPA
staff implied that the final rule would address the association's concerns, he recounted. That turned out not to be the
case when the final permit was issued.
"It was clear that they ignored a lot of
our input," Elliott characterized.
OOGA appealed in October 2018 and
eventually filed a motion for summary
judgement, but OEPA asked OOGA for
settlement talks before the association filed
a final reply to an agency brief, he said.
The case has been put on a 90-day joint
status review track to allow for ongoing
settlement discussions, Elliot reported.
OOGA has had one discussion with
ODNR on a proposal to modify the definition of gathering lines to exclude pipeline

segments that are considered production
operations that fall under exclusive jurisdiction of the Ohio Department of Natural
Resources, he added.
In other matters, the association has
submitted comments on an ODNR 10year update on Ohio's statewide forest
action plan, Elliott said, and is urging the
agency to open state forest lands to oil
and gas activities.
Other Presentations
An attorney panel reviewed state requirements for companies to become preferred vendors for the state's orphan well
plugging program. Additional break-out
sessions included transitioning to Ohio811
and an update on the ODNR, Ohio title
issues, and trends in site security.
In a review of federal regulatory issues
from members of the OOGA Environmental Committee, Jim Cooper, a principal
at Civil & Environmental Consultants
Inc., discussed the latest developments
at the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency regarding proposed revisions to
OOOO and OOOOa methane emission
regulations.
Despite an earlier move to separate
policy and technical portions of its proposals, the EPA has recombined them,
which could slow efforts to adopt changes,
Cooper warned.
OOGEEP Chairman Greg Mason recognized outgoing board members Ronald
Grossjean of KENOIL Inc., Sarah Tipka
of A.W. Tipka Oil & Gas Inc. and Jim
Pritt with EnerVest Operating LLC for
their service.
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APRIL 2020 87

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