Ohio Chapter Partners with USCC on Expanding Zoning with Help of Intern

In a much-sought after partnership, the Ohio Organics Council, USCC’s Ohio Chapter, stepped forward last fall to volunteer to focus on educating planners and policymakers in the state to expand compost zoning there.

The hoped-for outcomes are as follows:

• Expansion of composting through adoption of a zoning ordinance change inspired by USCC’s model template in a likely county or municipality in Ohio
• A scoping and inventory of likely industrial/agricultural land through Geographic Information Systems and working with state economic  development experts for future potential compost zoning changes
• An easy "steps to adding compost zoning” document for advocates, planners and policymakers around the country to use in seeking zoning for composting

In another stroke of good fortune, the USCC’s spring environmental apprentice advocacy internship has been awarded to Michael Price (pictured right), a just-graduated Ohio State University student whose undergraduate project focused on compost facility locations in Ohio.  At OSU, Michael studied environmental sustainability and community development. He enjoyed receiving an exposure to sustainable city planning, policy analysis, and GIS. His senior project involved composting policy review. His favorite memories of schooling were in the summer of 2022 when he interned with a community garden in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio and gained many connections and friends through the experience. Michael said he is very excited to apply his skills learned from OSU with the US Composting Council and make a difference in his community.

We are thrilled to have Michael as intern and Angel Arroyo-Rodriguez, Ph.D. (pictured left) of the Ohio EPA, as co-advisor for the internship.