Governor DeWine:

Watch the :15 second version here.

Governor DeWine said it himself. Lake Erie is Ohio’s crown jewel.[1] 

It’s the place where we take our families to fish and swim, the source of our drinking water. But Lake Erie is in trouble. We see it every summer with toxic algal outbreaks. And Governor DeWine is letting in happen.

Right now, massive animal feeding operations are applying excess animal manure to land across NW Ohio.[2] The runoff ultimately ends up in Lake Erie and causes toxic algae blooms. These algae coat the lake in green scum threatening our drinking water and way of life on the water.

The science is clear: Lake Erie’s algae problem is caused by excess phosphorus pollution, nearly 90% of which comes from the massive industrial agricultural industry upstream[3]. Manure is leaching into the water at growing rates, and it will continue to harm local communities and economies until we do something. 

This problem isn’t just gross, it hurts our economy, our tourism, and our enjoyment of the lake. Governor DeWine could help this problem today by directing Ohio EPA to regulate manure discharges from industrial animal facilities. But he needs to hear from you.