By Dan Klepal
Enquirer staff writer

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is considering a move that would allow thousands of dry cleaners, printing shops, auto paint shops and other small businesses to skip applying for permits to pollute the air.

Environmentalists say the new rule, if passed, would make enforcing clean-air rules next to impossible. It would create a situation in which most small companies would not have to notify county or state agencies of their intent to operate.

"It's a polluters' dream come true," said Karen Arnette, program director for the Environmental Community Organization here in Cincinnati. "It's a terrible step in the wrong direction."

Officials with the OEPA say the move is positive because it will eliminate a mountain of paperwork related to permits. That would free up employees to perform more inspections to make sure companies comply with pollution laws.

"The idea of the rule is that we have a lot of small sources of pollution in Ohio that are very similar in nature," said Joe Koncelik, assistant director of the OEPA. "And rather than taking the time to do individual permits for all of them, wouldn't it make a whole lot more sense to have all the standards in one rule?

"The overall idea is efficiency. Our agency is overwhelmed in individual permits."

The proposed rule also concerns some officials in local government. Cincinnati Councilman David Crowley, who led the effort to restore the city's air-pollution nuisance law called Title X, said there hasn't been adequate evaluation of the impact on the environment.

"Changes to the rules will have a dramatic impact on our ability to enforce (Title X)," Crowley said. "Serious concerns exist about the number of exempt facilities that may be able to operate if the changes are made."

County officials have similar concerns. Cory Chadwick, director of the Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services, said the rule would make it harder to determine which companies are operating with or without pollution permits. With no application process, it also would become harder for the public to get information about exempted businesses.

The deadline for public comments on the new rule has been extended to Oct. 13.

Information about the proposed rule can be found at on the Web. Comments can be submitted by e-mail at rick.carleski@epa.state.oh.us or by mail to Richard J. Carleski, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Lazarus Government Center, P.O. Box 1049, Columbus, Ohio, 43216.

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E-mail dklepal@enquirer.com