Senate bill would create Ohiofirst statewide rules for underground limestone mining, change permitting and taxes

Sen. Wilkin told the Ohio Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee that Senate Bill 181 would create the statefirst regulatory framework for underground mining of limestone and dolomite and would fold that regulation into the Ohio Department of Natural ResourcesDivision of Mineral Resources Management.

The bill matters because, as Wilkin said in sponsor testimony, industrial minerals such as limestone are central to infrastructure and construction: "Asphalt is made up of 95% industrial minerals. Concrete, 85% industrial minerals," and Ohio produces "110,000,000 tons of material annually with a value exceeding $1,600,000,000." The sponsor cited an Ohio Department of Transportationfunded 2021 study that warned permitted-material shortages in parts of the state.

Senate Bill 181 would do several things at once: establish permitting, oversight and rulemaking for underground limestone and dolomite mining; require ODNR to adopt rules addressing permitting, blasting, subsidence, groundwater withdrawals and mine closure; grandfather existing underground operations by issuing permits; and align underground-mining oversight with existing surface-mining rules under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1514. The bill would also change the surface permit-renewal system by eliminating the statutory 15-year renewal application and instead make permits valid for the life of the mine while instituting an inspector-level compliance review every five years in addition to twice-annual inspections.

Wilkin told the committee there are 328 active surface-mining permits under the current system, and he described the 15-year renewal as a "multilayer paperwork exercise" that historically has never resulted in a denial. The bill would instead allow more frequent inspector reviews and preserve the divisionchiefauthority to issue orders, civil penalties and to revoke permits for noncompliance.

The measure would also ease how additional land can be added to an existing surface-mining permit: operators could amend permits to add land in the same township as the permitted operation instead of applying for an entirely new permit, while retaining public notice and local zoning protections.

On reclamation appeals, Wilkin said the bill adds parallel language to Chapter 1514 so the General Assembly has clear authority over the Reclamation Commission when it hears aggregate-mining matters; he explained that a quirk in existing law tied the commissionprocedures to Chapter 1513 (coal rules) and federal oversight. Finally, the bill would increase the state's severance tax by a half-cent on many industrial minerals and add a quarter-cent severance tax on limestone and dolomite severed by underground mining; those funds would be used in part to address dewatering liability and a fund to address off-site impacts if permits are not associated with a mine.

Committee members asked clarifying questions during the first hearing. Sen. Liston asked why the original law required 15-year renewals; Wilkin replied he did not know the historical reason and suggested it might be a legislative choice from prior sessions. Wilkin also clarified that the statutory amendment allowing permit additions is limited to land in the same township; he said mining within municipalities is uncommon but later corrected that some operations originally outside municipal boundaries have been incorporated into municipalities as they grew.

No formal committee vote was taken on Senate Bill 181 at the first hearing; Wilkin closed by offering to work with members and stakeholders as the bill advances.

The committee record shows the bill is at its first hearing and will return for further consideration in later committee business. Ending details: the sponsor emphasized industry and ODNR collaboration in drafting the bill and said the changes aim to improve long-term access to construction materials and program efficiency.