PA Environment Digest Blog: Ohio Senate Committee Hearing III: Ohio Farmers Union Supports Ban On Disposal Of Oil & Gas Wastewater By Road Dumping To Protect Soil, Livestock, Farm Products From Contamination

On February 17, the Ohio Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources held a hearing where the Ohio Farmers Union expressed support for legislation that would ban the disposal of oil and gas wastewater by road dumping.

The Ohio Legislature is considering-- Senate Bill 329 and House Bill 439-- that would ban the disposal of oil and gas wastewater by road spreading.

Mardy Townsend, a member of the Ohio Farmers Union Executive Committee from Windsor, OH, said the ban was needed to protect soil, livestock and farm products from contamination.

In her testimony, Townsend said--

I thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony on SB 329, the bill to ban spreading brine, the oil and gas waste from conventional oil wells, on roads.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has determined that the level of radioactivity in brine is too high to be released into the environment, according to the Ohio Administrative Code.

The Ohio Department of Health released a study in 2022 that recommended against the use of deicers derived from oil and gas waste brine due to "the increased levels of human exposure to radiation."

The Ohio Department of Transportation and Ohio Turnpike Commission both discontinued use of deicers derived from oil and gas waste.

I raise grassfed beef in Windsor, Ashtabula County. I buy hay from a farm located on a dirt road in this county.

That township spreads brine for dust control in the summer.

Brine only works as a dust suppressant until it dries – no better than water.

The toxins from this brine then become part of the dust that later rises into the air and drifts onto the fields and homes nearby.

What doesn’t go into the air is then washed by rain into the roadside and creeks.

This has long term negative effects on human health, and contaminates our environment long into the future.

My farm is located on a paved county road, so no dust suppressant is applied. But the farm I buy hay from is being contaminated by the toxins in brine.

Ashtabula County has a vibrant local food economy, and much of that food is produced by farms located on dirt roads with a long history of brine spreading.

If [we] want to improve the local farm economy and the health of all of our residents, it seems that the State Of Ohio should pay attention to the findings of its own agencies and prohibit spreading oil and gas waste for dust suppression on our rural roads.

I support the passage of SB 329.

For many years Windsor Township has used a dust suppressant containing MC 100 on our dirt roads. Windsor began using this many years ago.

It is more expensive than brine but is more effective.

There are alternatives to spreading oil and gas waste for dust suppression.

As a member of the Executive Committee of the Ohio Farmers Union, I join with OFU membership in supporting the passage of SB 329.

Click Here for Townsend’s testimony.

Visit the Ohio Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources webpage for more testimony presented on disposing of oil and gas wastewater by road dumping.

Pennsylvania Legislation

Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware), Majority Chair of the House Environmental and Natural Resources Protection, introduced House Bill 84 to ban the disposal of oil and gas wastewater by road dumping on January 10, 2025.

The House Committee held an extensive hearing on the road dumping issue and on House Bill 2384 (Vitali-D-Delaware) to ban road dumping in June 2024. Read more here.

What Road Dumping Looks Like

-- Photos Of Typical Road Dumping in Pennsylvania: See Photos Here + See Photos Here

(Photos: What road dumping looks like. Row 1-- Late night road dumping on March 21, 2025, note triangular spray pattern; Row 2-- Morning-after March 21 dumping fingerprint; Row- 3 Telltale bluish sheen from road dumping on paved road, water collected after road dumping on Scranton Hollow Road on September 17, 2024)

Ohio Senate Committee Testimony:

-- Ohio Senate Committee Hearing I: Penn State Professor Testifies In Support Of A Ban On The Disposal Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater By Road Dumping [PaEN]

-- Ohio Senate Committee Hearing II: Studies By Ohio State Agencies Document Environmental, Health Hazards Of Disposing Of Oil & Gas Wastewater By Road Dumping [PaEN]

-- Ohio Senate Committee Hearing III: Ohio Farmers Union Supports Ban On Disposal Of Oil & Gas Wastewater By Road Dumping To Protect Soil, Livestock, Farm Products From Contamination [PaEN]

Resource Links - Conventional Wastewater Road Dumping:

-- Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners Pushing 3 More Ways To Legalize Road Dumping Their Wastewater; Not Clear How The Public, Put At Risk By Dumping, Will Be Involved [PaEN]

-- DEP Report Finds: Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Routinely Abandon Wells; Fail To Report How Millions Of Gallons Of Waste Is Disposed; And Non-Compliance Is An ‘Acceptable Norm’ [12.29.22]

-- DEP: Widespread Non-Compliance With Environmental Laws Continues In Conventional Oil & Gas Industry; 3,108+ Abandoned Wells; At Least 85% Conventional Well Owners Fail To Submit Production, Waste, Well Integrity Reports [6.12.25]

-- Late Night Road Dumping: Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Continues To Be Dumped On Dirt, Gravel, Paved Roads; DEP Expected To Provide Update At April 24 Meeting [4.9.25]

-- Late Night Dumping II: Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Dumping Continues On Roads, This Time With Bigger Trucks; New Research On Harmful Wastewater Impacts [5.22.25]

-- Senate Hearing: Penn State Expert: ‘No More Research That Needs To Be Done’ To Justify A Ban On Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater [4.17.24]

-- House Hearing: Penn State Expert Says ‘Pennsylvania Should Ban Road Spreading Of Oil & Gas Wastewater;’ Contaminants Exceed Health, Environmental Standards [6.10.24]