Substitute House Bill 175 Summary

• Removes ephemeral features (water flowing only in direct response to precipitation) from the definition of "waters of the state" under Chapter 6111, exempting them from certain water pollution control regulations while maintaining enforcement authority under other state laws.

• Establishes specific mitigation standards for impacts to ephemeral features that are waters of the state, including formulas for calculating area and volume of mitigation based on stream slope and allowing various mitigation options such as channel construction, bioretention, or purchasing mitigation credits.

• Exempts temporary impacts to ephemeral features lasting no more than two years from full mitigation requirements if conditions are restored to pre-impact functionality within twelve months of impact termination.

• Requires the director of environmental protection to adopt substantive wetland, stream, and lake mitigation standards through administrative rule within twenty-four months, limiting the use of unadopted standards in permit decisions.

• Authorizes property tax exemption for real property owned by organizations focused on natural resources protection that are subject to environmental response projects or H2Ohio-funded water projects, and appropriates $500,000 to the Department of Natural Resources for weed harvesting operations at Indian Lake.