Columbus, Ohio — Moms Clean Air Force, State Representative Crystal Lett, Buckeye Environmental Network, and Between the Waters gathered at the Ohio State Capitol on Wednesday, April 15 to urge Ohio leaders to safeguard communities from petrochemical and plastics industry buildout.
Communities across Ohio are already exposed to pollution from existing petrochemical facilities that harm public health and accelerate climate change. At the same time, the plastics supply chain is exposing families to toxic chemicals, including microplastics and PFAS, that are increasingly linked to serious health risks.
Advocates and experts are calling for protections. Proposed expansions would lock Ohio into decades of additional plastic production, more fracked fossil fuel infrastructure, and greater pollution for frontline communities.
Watch the recording of the press conference HERE to hear from public health experts, environmental advocates, and community members dealing with the impacts firsthand.
QUOTES FROM SPEAKERS:
“Petrochemical and chemical recycling facilities have a significant footprint in Ohio and this is only expected to grow in the years ahead, making our children and families especially vulnerable to the harmful chemicals that are released throughout petrochemical supply chains and in facilities operating near where Ohioans live, work, and play,” says Amanda Rowoldt, Ohio Field Organizer for Moms Clean Air Force.
“Moms are often the most effective advocates we have because for them, it’s personal,” says State Representative Crystal Lett. “They see firsthand how air pollution affects their children’s breathing, how emerging threats like microplastics may impact their long-term health, and they refuse to stay silent.”
“We cannot treat our way out of this problem in hospitals and clinics,” says Dr. Peggy Ann Berry, PhD RN, COHN-S, CLE, PLNC, FAAOHN, Executive Director of Between the Waters. “Prevention is essential. That means reducing the production of single-use plastics, holding industry accountable, and ensuring that policies prioritize human health over profit.”
“The world is at a critical juncture in the fight for climate justice,” sats Cat Adams, Petrochemicals Organizers for Buckeye Environmental Network. “The science is clear: if we want to limit global warming’s worst impacts, we need to immediately phase out fossil fuels in all sectors–including the chemical sector–and dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The fossil fuel industry’s planned petrochemical expansion threatens to lock us into fossil fuel dependency and climate chaos.”