COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio officials are advising oil and gas companies to share information on the toxic chemicals they use with local authorities, including first responders.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that Ohio notified companies this month that federal disclosure law trumps a 2001 state law requiring only that the information be filed with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

The guidance affecting the state's burgeoning hydraulic fracturing industry follows an April 26 letter in which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency made clear that Ohio's chemical-reporting laws don't supersede federal right-to-know requirements.

The letter came in response to a complaint by environmentalists involving a January chemical emergency near St. Marys in Auglaize County.

The head of Ohio's oil and gas association said the state law was intended to ease access to the information.

Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com

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