Apr 22 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Jessica Lander-Heffner Middletown Journal, Ohio

So much federal focus is on lowering greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does not require states to gather emissions data.

Although the Ohio EPA does track area company polluting emissions, CO2 is not one of them.

"I know greenhouse gases are what everyone is writing about today, but we are not required to track it in our reports," said Heather Lauer, Ohio EPA spokeswoman.

Lauer said her agency expects federal legislation to come out of Washington in the next few years regarding CO2 emissions, but until then, tracking such gases is only voluntary.

As a result, the Toxic Release Inventories filed with the Ohio EPA are only reflective of other emissions. If required to also report CO2, the listing of top area polluters could change, Lauer said.

Omitting CO2, AK Steel Corp. is tops in Butler County and 48th in the state for total pollutant releases and transfers.

Alan McCoy, spokesman for AK Steel, said CO2 is one of the largest by-products from the chemical reactions necessary to make steel in Middletown Works' coke oven and blast furnace.

"The chemical reaction is essential to making molten iron from iron ore pellets. Today, there is no technology to alter to making molten iron in a blast furnace without coke, which means no way to lower CO2 without slowing (production) down," McCoy said.

SMART Papers in Hamilton was first in the county for air emissions, but second for overall releases and transfers. The company ranked 112th in the state.

TOP EMISSIONS IN BUTLER COUNTY BY POUNDS:

1. AK Steel Corp. -- 1,300,458

2. SMART Papers LLC -- 346,450

3. Hamilton Municipal Electric Plant -- 292,350

4. Miller Brewing Co. -- 229,806

5. Shepherd Middletown Co. -- 189,745

TOP EMISSIONS IN WARREN COUNTY BY POUNDS:

1. Sumco Phoenix Corp. -- 609,810

2. Gayston Corp. -- 103,333

3. Advics Mfg. Ohio Inc. -- 37,720

4. Berenfield Containers Inc. -- 37,720

5. Schmidt Progressive LLC -- 9,014