{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://cartwright.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/cartwright-sends-letters-to-ohio-and-west-virginia-s-environmental", "Cartwright Sends Letters to Ohio and West Virginias Environmental Administrators Regarding Fracking Waste Disposal", "2014-11-19", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Matt Cartwright", "C001090", "cartwright.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright sent letters to Randy Huffman, the Cabinet Secretary for West Virginia\u2019s Department of Environmental Protection, and Craig Butler, the Director of Ohio\u2019s Environmental Protection Agency.\u00a0 The letters are a significant step in a comprehensive investigation Cartwright is leading in his role as Ranking Member of the Economic Growth, Job Creation, and Regulatory Affairs Subcommittee of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.\nThe letters requests information about the respective state\u2019s regulatory process for monitoring the handling and disposal hydraulic fracturing (fracking) waste.\u00a0\nCartwright writes, \u201cAs you know, fracking wastes are categorized as \"special wastes\" and are exempt from federal hazardous waste regulations under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).\u00a0 As a result, fracking wastes are regulated as non-hazardous wastes by state governments under the less stringent RCRA Subtitle D solid waste regulations.\u00a0 I am writing to inquire about your state\u2019s reporting requirements for fracking operators, fracking waste transporters and disposal site operators.\u201d\u00a0\nThe letters go on to ask several detailed questions about the waste disposal practices and oversight capabilities in both Ohio and West Virginia.\u00a0 Just last month Cartwright sent a similar letter to Pennsylvania\u2019s acting Department of Environmental Protection (PA-DEP) Secretary Dana Aunkst.\nIn Pennsylvania, the state\u2019s oversight of the process has come under scrutiny after the release of PA Auditor General Eugene Depasquale\u2019s audit of the PA-DEP\u2019s performance in monitoring potential impacts to water quality from fracking.\u00a0\nThe audit concluded that Pennsylvania\u2019s current system for oversight of fracking waste \u201cis not an effective monitoring tool\u201d and \u201cit is not proactive in discouraging improper, even illegal, disposal of waste.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://cartwright.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/cartwright-sends-letters-to-ohio-and-west-virginia-s-environmental"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8643101900815964, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}