Protect Ohio's Water 
from Factory Farm Pollution

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs or factory farms) have severe social, economic, and environmental impacts both to their immediate neighbors and around the state. There are about 125 of these operations in Ohio.

Senate Bill 141, passed in 2000, transfers the permitting authority of factory farms from the Ohio EPA to the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA). ODA is currently drafting rules to implement this program. To learn more, go to the ODA web site.

Resources

Fact Sheet on Factory Farms in Ohio

Letter from USEPA on Shortcomings of Ohio's Program

Livestock Facility Facts, prepared by OEPA, April 1999

National Sierra Club CAFO Site

USDA and EPA CAFO Draft Strategy

Definitions

Animal Feeding Operation: A lot or facility (other than an aquatic animal production facility) where the following conditions are met:

• Animals (other than aquatic animals) have been, are, or will be stabled or confined and fed or maintained for a total of 45 days or more in any 12 month period, and
• Crops, vegetation, forage growth or post-harvest residues are not sustained in the normal growing season over any portion of the lot or facility.

(From the Oklahoma Concentrated Feeding Operations Act of 1997, formerly the Oklahoma Feed Yards Act of 1991.)

Animal Unit (AU): 1 AU=

• 1 slaughter or feeder, or
• 0.7 mature dairy cattle (whether milk or dry cows), or
• 2.5 swine over 55 lbs., or
• 0.5 horses, or
• 10 sheep or lambs, or
• 30 laying hens, or
• 100 broiler chickens, or
• 55 turkeys, or
• 5 ducks.

Concentrated Feeding Operations: An Animal Feeding Operation with 1,000 or more AU. It is also considered CAFO if:

• Pollutants are discharged into waters of the US through a man-made ditch, flushing system or other similar man-made device, or
• Pollutants are discharged directly into navigable waters which originate ourside of and pass over, across or through the facility or otherwise come into direct contact with the animals confined in the operation.

Moratorium: A time-out for new operations to allow time for further study of the problem or time to develop comprehensive laws governing operations.

Report all problems with this web site to the webmaster.

Sierra Club® and One Earth, One Chance® are registered trademarks of the Sierra Club. © 2001 Sierra Club. Sierra Club Website Terms and Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.