Buckeye Environmental Network

06/19/2026

“When I was a kid, we explored everything,” said Silverio Caggiano, a board member of the Buckeye Environmental Network, a regional advocacy group. A former battalion fire chief, Caggiano has four decades of experience tackling threats posed by hazardous and radioactive materials, including weapons of mass destruction. “If you are a kid frequenting this site as a playground through the summer, you could be getting a lifetime dose” of radiation, he told me.

An on-the-ground investigation in Pennsylvania finds unprotected radioactive material next to a popular bike and walking trail.

06/18/2026

NBC4 Did a great segment on the Freepoint Eco-Systems closure, featuring our organizer Cat Adams! This shutdown is a huge win for our safety, but Freepoint still needs to clean up its mess and properly compensate its workers. They promised Licking County healthy, clean jobs, but they brought us a plastic incinerator and an industry scam instead. We deserve real economic opportunities that don't sacrifice our air, water, or health.

A Licking County recycling plant announced it is shutting down oper...

06/18/2026

Final reminder!!

Comment guide + Comment Link: http://tinyurl.com/wnf-2026

06/17/2026

Today is the last day to leave a public comment!

06/17/2026

On Monday, Columbus Stand Up! led a coalition of community advocates in a press conference outside the utility industry’s regional conference at the Hilton Downtown. Inside, Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) commissioners and Senator Brian Chavez spoke about "affordability" behind a closed-door registration fee, in stark contrast to the private interests they are actually protecting while pushing harmful data centers and fracking. Outside, reps from Common Cause Ohio, Save Ohio Parks, Buckeye Environmental Network, Ohio Environmental Council, Coffee Compassion Action, and Between the Waters spoke on the real hardship of stagnant wages, rising utility bills, corrupt energy deals, and toxic injection wells.

06/13/2026

Public comments on the BLM's latest proposal for Wayne National Forest close June 17!! Learn how to make your impact below!

Join us this Tuesday, the 16th Join us for a NEPA 101 + Public Comment Drafting Workshop. We'll cover the history of the fight to protect the Wayne, explore our interactive mapping tool, and workshop comments together before the deadline.
RSVP - http://bit.ly/wnf-zoom

06/11/2026

Our communities deserve economic development that creates lasting opportunity without sacrificing our air, water, or health. Freepoint must be held accountable for the harm it caused its workers, community members, and the environment.

The suspension leaves more than 100 employees in limbo in Licking County while the global plastic waste crisis continues to grow.

06/09/2026

Public comments on the BLM's latest proposal for Wayne National Forest close June 17.

Need help writing a comment? Join us for a NEPA 101 + Public Comment Drafting Workshop. We'll cover the history of the fight to protect the Wayne, explore our interactive mapping tool, and workshop comments together before the deadline.
RSVP - http://bit.ly/wnf-zoom

06/06/2026

Shouts out to Washington County for Safe Drinking Water and Save Ohio Parks!

“In January 2026, an environmental advocacy group called Washington County for Safe Drinking Water filed a formal ethics complaint with the Ohio Joint Legislative Ethics Committee, alleging Chavez had failed to disclose ownership stakes in at least five oil and gas companies on his 2023 and 2024 financial disclosure forms — a legal requirement for Ohio state senators. Among the undisclosed entities, the complaint said, was DeepRock Disposal Solutions LLC, on whose legal documents Chavez signed as CEO, despite the company never appearing on his required financial disclosures. Buckeye Environmental Network, Save Ohio Parks, and FaCT Ohio co-signed the complaint.”

Chavez co-chairs the panel despite an unresolved ethics complaint alleging he hid energy sector stakes while advancing related legislation as Senate Energy Committee chair.

06/04/2026

You spoke up and stopped the pollution. That is a huge win, but now we need to finish the job and hold Freepoint accountable for the harm it caused.

Join your neighbors to make sure Freepoint shuts down and cleans up the right way. We are getting together to celebrate your advocacy, share updates, and talk about what comes next. We want to hear what you want for your community, from jobs to environmental remediation.

When: 6:30 – 8 PM
Where: Licking County Public Library, Lakewood Branch (Small Meeting Room)

Your voice got us this far, so we hope to see you there!