Viewpoint

By Hillary Royster

In November 2025, I became a member of Washington County for Safe Drinking Water (WCFSDW). Before joining the group I had never been involved locally but felt motivated after educating myself on the risks to our drinking water. I am just your typical working class Ohioan. I am 33, have student loans, two cats and like to crochet and garden. I am proud to be a member of WCFSDW. Fellow members are your friends and neighbors, across all political spectrums all united on one issue — ensuring clean water for Washington County. We truly believe ensuring access to clean drinking water should not be a political issue.

I do not wish to be writing this letter as the work days are long and the weekends are too short but the neglectful oversight of ODNR and the misleading premature celebration of the ethics complaint “crashing and burning” needs to be addressed.

Jan. 20, 2026, WCFSDW sent a signed, notarized complaint to the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee (JLEC). This complaint can be read on our website, and I highly encourage you to read it and review the 53 exhibits and 16 pages of text. The ethics complaint covers two main topics we uncovered while reviewing publicly available documents. The complaint alleges Sen. Brian Chavez is using his power in the Senate to advance injection well industry-friendly SB 219, and his failure to disclose five LLCs on his 2023 and 2024 financial disclosure statements.

Once the complaint was filed, WCFSDW had some email exchanges with JLEC to ask clarifying questions. The exchange is posted on our website because we respect transparency and want the citizens to be aware of this process. JLEC informed us they could still consider the complaint even though we did not meet their definition of “personal knowledge.”

So, the 14-day window that is being celebrated by some is based on the personal knowledge requirement for a complaint to come from a citizen. However, in asking further questions of JLEC, we’ve learned that this does not mean the complaint is dead. It appears that JLEC is deliberating on the complaint and evaluating whether the allegations are “based on Ohio’s Ethics Law as interpreted in formal Advisory Opinions previously issued by the committee and judicial precedent.” The committee members would then vote on whether to adopt the complaint as a committee for an investigation.

In baseball, there is a saying: The game isn’t over until the last out. It feels like individuals with special interests are trying to run out a clock that doesn’t exist. They want to exhaust the public’s patience so they can get back to the business of the “2%.” But civic responsibility doesn’t have a buzzer. You don’t get to “win” a safety issue by simply refusing to answer the phone or by hiding behind shell companies.

I want to let our elected officials know, we aren’t tired. In fact, we’re just getting through the lineup. While they’re busy taking a victory lap for a game that’s still in the seventh inning, we are moving forward with sharing the truth and putting forth our demand for clean water and a government that isn’t for sale.

The hallmark of a functioning democracy is the unwavering application of the law, regardless of the “influence” of the individual in question. Today, Ohio faces a crossroads where the rights of the many — 98% of our citizens who demand clean water and transparent governance — are being subordinated to the interests of a 2% corporate and political elite.

We are optimistic JLEC will act to restore public trust. Regardless of their decisions to act on this complaint, WCFSDW will keep fighting to ensure clean drinking water.

Hillary Royster is a Belpre resident and member of Washington County for Safe Drinking Water — washingtoncountyforsafedrinkingwater.org.