Latest National CAFO News
Spread of Lake Erie algae raises alarm across region
Toledo — For nearly a week, the Maumee River that runs through the downtown has looked like the Chicago River after it’s dyed for St. Patrick’s Day.
An algal bloom has turned the river, western edge of Lake Erie from here up to Canada florescent green, alarming residents and prompting local officials to lobby the Environmental Protection Agency...
Read MoreToledo mayor Mayor Hicks-Hudson now wants Lake Erie declared impaired
Toledo Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson reversed course Tuesday and announced she would support the effort to get Lake Erie's western basin declared impaired because of excessive algae.
The mayor made the announcement in Middlegrounds Metropark on the banks of the Maumee River, which was a blend of dark and near-florescent green.
The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department issued a recreational public health advisory because...
Read MoreOpposition to hog farm is over more than just smell (Devil’s Lake) – AgWeek
In response to the editorial "Law-abiding livestock should be approved," it is clear that the writer could benefit from further education regarding the detrimental effects a hog operation can have on a community (particularly Devils Lake).
You say "critics who simply don't want to smell pig manure must accept that they live in an...
Read MoreAuthorities investigate death of thousands of fish in Williams County, OH [W of Toledo]
WEST JEFFERSON, Ohio — Manure spread across more than 100 acres of farmland just before a major thunderstorm rolled in killed “close to 15,000” fish in eastern Williams...
Read MoreAlgal blooms cost Ohio homeowners $152 million over 6 years
Property values fall, as do fishing license sales, two studies find - first ever (OSU)
COLUMBUS, Ohio—In a new study, researchers at The Ohio State University estimate algal blooms at two Ohio lakes cost Ohio homeowners $152 million in lost property value over six years.
Meanwhile, a related study suggests that algae is driving anglers away from Lake Erie, causing fishing license...
Read MoreDairy met with strong opposition (Celina, OH)
DNR Investigating Manure Spill In Northeastern Wisconsini)
State environmental officials are investigating a manure...
Read MoreMy Voice: Stop the spread of CAFOs (Sioux Falls, SD)
At its June 26 meeting, the Minnehaha County Planning Commission unanimously approved a zoning revision which essentially endorses CAFOs, concentrated animal feeding operations. Public input is needed at a hearing scheduled for August 8 to make the County Commission aware that the revised ordinance will expose more South Dakotans, both urban and rural and both meat eater and...
Read MoreScavia (UM)- Nutrient pollution:Voluntary steps are failing to shrink algae blooms
Summer is the season for harmful algae blooms in many U.S. lakes and bays. They occur when water bodies become overloaded with nitrogen and phosphorus from farms, water treatment plants and other sources. Warm water and lots of nutrients promote rapid growth of algae that can be toxic and potentially fatal to aquatic life and people.
Eventually algae settle to the bottom...
Read MoreHiding Info stalls action: Heidelberg, others knew Dissolved Phosphorus problem since 2002
On 6/28/17, Michigan's DEQ & MDARD employees expressed surprise about dissolved Phosphorus impacts & advocated for the need to "study" conservation practices for future years. More taxpayer funded "study halls" should be ended now. Current Ag practices are making the phosphorus problem in Lake Erie worse, or as the scientists stated: "unintended, cumulative, and converging impacts". Source control must start with enforcement & reduction of manure waste, and treatment...
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