The Ohio Supreme Court will decide whether 2004 Ohio HB 278, which preempts municipalities and other local governments from regulating oil and gas drilling, violates the Ohio Constitution’s Home Rule provision, Ohio Constitution Article XVIII, Section 7. H.B. 278 declared that the Division of Mineral Resources Management in the Department of Natural Resources has exclusive authority to regulate the permitting, location, and spacing of oil and gas wells in the state. The case is State of Ohio ex rel. Jack Morrison, Jr., Law Director City of Munroe Falls, Ohio, et al. v. Beck Energy Corporation, et al., Ohio Supreme Court Case No. 2013-0465. Not all briefs have been filed, and a date for oral argument has not been set.
See Youngstown Vindy.com Article: Oil, gas case heading to Ohio top court will spotlight local control
Photo of Natural Gas Well by Windsordi
