Residents urge Wood County commissioners to press OEPA on air permit for proposed Apollo gas plant

At the April 16 meeting of the Wood County Board of Commissioners, local residents urged officials to scrutinize and challenge an air permit the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency issued for a proposed Apollo gas power plant at the Meta site in Middleton Township.

Leatra Harper, managing director of the Fresh Water Accountability Project, told the commissioners she moved back to Bowling Green in part to avoid nearby fracking and said she did not want to spend her retirement fighting new fossil‑fuel projects. "We have until May 1 to provide information showing a totally deficient air permit and to hold the OEPA and the polluting power plant accountable," Harper said, urging local officials to act now.

Retired steel‑mill worker and resident Steve Jansto raised technical concerns about the permit's emissions estimates and regulatory fit. "The maximum amount of [carbon monoxide] emissions per year is 250 tons and Meta is estimating 235 tons," Jansto said, adding that the permit allows up to 40 start‑ups and shutdowns annually that can yield higher raw emissions during warm‑up cycles. He also criticized the state dispersion model used for permitting as dated and said the Clean Air Act's constituent‑by‑constituent approach does not address cumulative impacts.

Commissioner Craig LaHote responded that, based on his research, carbon monoxide from the proposed facility would be lower than the amount emitted on nearby I‑75 and reiterated that authority over joint economic development districts (JEDDs) belongs to townships and municipalities, not the county. He said the City of Bowling Green removed local wind turbines that had produced about 4 megawatts and is planning a 10‑megawatt solar field to replace that capacity.

Harper and Jansto suggested immediate steps, including coordinating with environmental legal groups, contacting legislators, and notifying the Ohio EPA before the May 1 comment deadline. Jansto said the Wood County prosecutor has provided townships advice about moratoria and that residents planned to reach out to him.

Commissioner Doris Herringshaw said the board would "take this information into consideration" and speak with legislators to determine possible actions; no formal county action or motion to challenge the permit was taken at the meeting. The public comment concluded and the board moved on to adjourn later in the session.

The exchange left the regulatory matter unresolved at the local level; the permit comment period and any filings with OEPA or legal challenges are external steps citizens and local governments may pursue after posting public comments or coordinating with legal counsel.