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Welcome to insideHull, Hull's environmentally-friendly e-newsletter.

August 2011

Shale Gas Development Regulations in Ohio

The development of natural gas contained in the shale formations of Ohio will result in a huge boost in domestic energy supply and in the state economy for decades to come.  As gas producers begin to expand their shale gas plays from Pennsylvania into Ohio, they will find differences in how shale gas activities are regulated.

In Ohio, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mineral Resources Management (ODNR-DMRM) has primary regulatory authority over oil and gas drilling, including rules for well construction, siting, design, and operation. The disposal of waste fluid from oil and gas production in Ohio is generally done by Class II underground injection.  ODNR-DMRM regulates brine disposal in Ohio, including permitting and oversight of Class II underground injection wells accepting produced water and flowback water from shale oil and gas production. ODNR also registers transporters hauling these fluids in Ohio.

The role of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) in regulating shale gas development activities will focus on protecting state water resources, air quality permitting, and solid waste disposal or beneficial reuse. Ohio EPA’s water quality regulations will apply to any releases to wetlands, streams, rivers or other waters of the state from the construction and operation of a drill site. If there are units or activities at the drill site that emit air pollutants, Ohio EPA may require a permit-to-install and operate (PTIO). Ohio EPA’s Division of Materials and Waste Management (DMWM, formerly the Division of Solid and Infectious Waste Management and the Division of Hazardous Waste Management) may regulate drill cuttings and other solids generated if they contain substances such as synthetic drilling mud, oils, or chemical additives.  If these materials are to be shipped off-site for disposal, Ohio EPA requires that they must be managed as a solid waste and sent to a permitted solid waste disposal facility. If a company is interested in beneficially reusing these materials, it must get authorization for this activity from Ohio EPA's DMWM.

Regarding gas pipelines, generally speaking, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) regulates gas pipeline safety.  Natural gas pipeline safety rules are developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The state of Ohio has adopted the federal regulations, and the PUCO enforces the regulations through a cooperative agreement with the federal government.  However, factors such as the role of a pipeline – between which gas facilities it transports the gas, for example – or the location of the pipeline – with respect to stream crossings, for example - will determine the extent to which and by whom it is regulated.  Law firms specializing in oil and gas pipelines are commonly consulted in the planning, permitting and regulating of pipelines.  And – as new pipeline growth occurs due to shale gas development, state regulatory agencies are still evaluating if and how to regulate this growth. For example, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission held a special hearing this April as part of efforts to clarify and possibly expand its role in regulating Marcellus shale gas pipeline development.  There are currently over 10,000 miles of natural transmission pipelines in Ohio, and significant upgrades and new pipelines are expected.

As shale gas drilling and development grows in Ohio, it is also expected that the regulatory climate will evolve. 

For more information on shale gas regulation in Ohio, contact Dr. Bill Rish in our Dublin office at 614.793.8777 or wrish@hullinc.com.

Hull Supports University of Toledo’s Successful $1.3 Million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant to Create Treatment Wetlands

Congratulations to the University of Toledo (UT) for receiving a $1.3 million U.S. EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grant to design and construct a terraced wetland system at Maumee Bay State Park in Lucas County, Ohio.  This project will reduce the amount of bacteria, nutrients and sediment entering Lake Erie through the Wolf Creek watershed and will help reduce the number of swimming advisories at the park’s lakefront beach. 

U.S. EPA announced Ohio GLRI grant recipients at the University of Toledo Lake Erie Center on August 8, 2011.  Ohio received 11 grants totaling $4.5 million; UT’s grant was the largest award in Ohio.  U.S. EPA’s GLRI fiscal year 2011 grant program will result in the award of 70 grants totaling nearly $30 million.  Remaining grants to be awarded will be announced throughout the Great Lakes Basin within the next several weeks. 

Hull is pleased to have assisted with the GLRI grant preparation, including providing input on the technical approach, preliminary design and implementation costs.  We are also honored to serve on the Wolf Creek-Berger Ditch Committee with representatives of TMACOG, the City of Oregon, Lucas and Wood counties, ODNR, Ohio EPA, USGS, and UT to help identify sources, analyze factors, and develop science-based solutions to address the ongoing bacteria issues at Maumee Bay State Park.

For more information on this project, please contact Bill Petruzzi in Hull’s Toledo office at 419.385.2018 or bpetruzzi@hullinc.com, or contact the grant project manager, Dr. Daryl Dwyer, at 419. 530.2661 or daryl.dwyer@utoledo.edu.  Additional information on the GLRI program is located at www.greatlakesrestoration.us.

Hull Recognized by ENR as a Top 500 Design Firm

Hull is proud to be recognized by Engineering News Record (ENR) as a Top 500 Design Firm for the sixth year. The 500 largest U.S.-based design firms are ranked according to revenue for design services performed in the previous year. Hull ranked 422 on the 2011 list.

Click here for a complete list of the Top 500 firms.

For more information, contact Tiffany Gibson in our Dublin office at 614.793.8777 or tgibson@hullinc.com.

Hull Helps Clients Secure Funding for Brownfield Cleanups
With the Clean Ohio Council’s recent award of $25 million of Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund grants and U.S. EPA’s recent award of $76 million Brownfields Assessment, Cleanup and Revolving Loan Fund grants, Hull has helped leverage more than $162 million for brownfield remediation and redevelopment activities for our clients. Funding is key to making any type of redevelopment project economically worthwhile.  Tax abatements, credits, grants, and low-interest loans can all dictate whether project plans are actually implemented. Hull assists clients with researching, preparing, and securing a variety of local, state, and federal funding for various types of projects. 

Hull is extremely proud to have helped so many clients build a stronger economic future for their communities and improve the quality of life for the people who live there. 

For more information or to discuss how we can help address brownfields in your community, contact Kara Allison, APR in our Dublin office at 614.793.8777 or kallison@hullinc.com; Christine Russell, REM, LEED AP, in our Mason office at 513.459.9677 or  crussell@hullinc.com; or Jenny Carter-Cornell, APR in our Toledo office at 419.385.2018 or jcornell@hullinc.com.

Hull Raises $25,000 for Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Hull presented a check totaling $25,000 to Kinder Key of Nationwide Children’s Hospital before kicking off its 11th annual Charity Memorial Golf Outing on Thursday, June 2, 2011 at Tartan Fields Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.

Hull CEO Craig Kasper and COO Dave Richards present Kinder Key of Nationwide Children's Hospital with $25,000 check. From left to right: Subha Lemback, Kate Portzline, Grace Portzline, Aaron Portzline, Craig Kasper, Dave Richards

Hull sponsors the annual golf outing during Memorial Tournament week with proceeds from the event – which are raised through generous individual and corporate donations – benefiting Kinder Key at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.  With the help of 56 sponsors and 127 golfers, Hull collected $25,000 in contributions for this year’s event – bringing the total raised for Kinder Key since the event’s 2001 inception to $105,000.  To help in recognizing this exceptional milestone, Hull invited 9-year-old Grace Portzline of Granville, who at the age of five months had a life-saving open-heart surgery performed at Nationwide Children’s Hospital to correct a congenital heart defect, to assist with the check presentation.

“It is an honor for us to be a long-time supporter of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the outstanding work of Kinder Key,” said Hull CEO Craig A. Kasper.  “Thanks to the generosity of our employees, clients, and friends, we’ve been able to raise $105,000 for Nationwide Children’s Hospital over the past 11 years through our annual golf outing and Hull’s Giving Back program.  ‘Giving Back’ is an extremely valued and important part of our company’s culture and we know the funds raised from the event directly benefit children and families right here in our community – children like Grace and her family.”

Kinder Key volunteers are dedicated to supporting the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Heart Center. The Heart Center is one of the largest and most sophisticated cardiac care centers in the United States, able to treat both children and adults with congenital heart disease using the most advanced technology available.  Since its inception in 1954, Kinder Key has raised over $2 million for the life-saving work which takes place at the Heart Center every day.