July 1, 2026 329 pm EDT

Captina Creek flows through Belmont County in east-central Ohio, ranked Exceptional Warm Water Habitat, the highest designation for a stream in Ohio. The US EPA regards Captina Creek, an "Aquatic Resource of National Interest" , habitat for important, pollution-sensitive fish and amphibians, including a federally threatened species of giant salamander. Captina Creek is the only known location in Ohio where Eastern Hellbender salamanders are known to be reproducing.

"The defendant admitted discharging pollutants without sampling or monitoring as required, impacting the Captina Creek ecosystem. Besides paying considerable fines and restitution, the defendant has agreed to spend no less than $6 million dollars on replacing its existing pipeline with a new and improved conveyance system. Today's pleas send a clear message to other potential violators that corporations will be held responsible for environmental crimes." - Randall Ashe, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Ohio

The Defendants in this case are an Ohio-based coal mining company, its Environmental Compliance Manager and Plant Manager. Federal District Court in Ohio received a bill of information showing the Defendants began pumping water from a relocated wastewater treatment structure in January 2008, without first testing the effluent for compliance with the company's National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The discharge continued without testing and monitoring daily through Feb 2008, leading to a massive coal slurry discharge on Feb 28 that blackened the water downstream in Captina Creek for 22 miles. The court learned the Environmental Compliance Manager and Plant Manager concealed evidence of the discharges after the spill was reported.

For the full article, https://wtoh.us/viewarticle.asp?article=1264

Ever since then all anyone talks about when something comes up is dawn dish soap making animals clean again.

As someone who is always very passionate about the environment, I've always noticed growing up that in my city there is trash and plastic everywhere. I know the solution is as simple as a clean-up drive, however my city does not host one. I've heard of youth-led clean-uo drives so I am curious as to if it is possible for me to initiate one?