The National Association of Counties (NACo) has included in its advocacy platform a priority that could affect the Beckjord site near New Richmond, Clermont County Commissioner David Painter reported at the July 26 Board of County Commissioners meeting.
The NACo Environment, Energy, and Land Use-Steering (EELU) Committee approved a resolution urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to not allow the storage of coal combustion residue in unlined ponds in close proximity to waters and where those residues have the ability to impact groundwater.
Beckjord sits in proximity to the Ohio River and near wells that supply the county’s drinking water. The former coal power plant stores coal combustion residue in unlined ponds.
This resolution passed by a super majority at NACo’s annual meeting in Austin, Texas, and was included in the association’s advocacy platform for the U.S. Congress. The platform will guide NACo’s efforts to influence the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s rule-making to ensure the environmental restoration of sites like Beckjord.
“As commissioners, I think that we are doing everything that we can do to protect Clermont County from Beckjord becoming a large environmental impact for our county,” Painter said.
Painter serves on the NACo Board of Directors and is Chairman of the NACo Environment, Energy, and Land Use-Steering (EELU) Committee where he previously served as the Vice Chair before being named to the Chairmanship in 2022; Environmental Protection Agency Local Government Advisory Council.