By: Robin Smith

Robin Smith — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 12:20:02 +0000

I found a beautiful piece of acreage on the ocean in Eastern Virginia with a home that was perfect for our family. We were seriously considering a move to this area near Cape Charles. When we read the article about runoff into the bay from large hog and chicken farms we were very discouraged. Our dollars would be better spent in Maryland or somewhere that the laws that protect our waters are respected. Perhaps if the economy suffers enough, they will rethink their position.

By: Vickie Askins

Vickie Askins — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 00:44:52 +0000

Ohio citizens also petitioned US EPA three years ago to withdraw permitting authority over CAFOs. CAFO permits issued by the Ohio Department of Agriculture fail to include nutrient management plans that require “precise on-site controls to keep manure and other pollutants out of waterways.” Instead, the ODA allows CAFOs to utilize huge loopholes to avoid all accountability under the Clean Water Act. We believe that much of the nutrient pollution in the Maumee River that is feeding the algal blooms in Lake Erie is coming from CAFO manure runoff in the Western Basin. We hoped our Petition would also serve as a wakeup call for Ohio legislators to make meaningful changes to the permitting programs. Despite millions of taxpayer dollars being spent on grants for studies and clean-up efforts, State legislators have given CAFOs a free pass from any meaningful regulations. So far, the US EPA has not responded to our Petition.

Comments on: Environmentalists Seek Controls on Chicken and Hog Factory Farms

By: Robin Smith

By: Vickie Askins