...In 2003, Steve Stivers was a co-sponsor of House Bill 152, which limited localities right to challenge factory farms in their townships by placing all permitting authority with the state. The bill also further reduced the EPA's power to regulate factory farms, stating that the EPA had to be able to prove the CAFO (called Concentrated Anmial Feeding Operations or CAFOs in bureaucratic parlance) is polluting ground water before it can regulate it. This bill was passed and eventually signed into law by Gov. Taft.
CAFOs are of particular interest to Columbus because two are planned in Madison and Union counties, which would place the city downwind of the pollution they generate. Orleton Farms wants to build a factory farm housing 5,428 cattle in the watershed of Little Darby Creek in Madison County. Since factory farms can produce up to 500 million tons of animal waste each year, there is a high risk that this farm could contaminate the ecologically sensitive Little Darby Creek.
Similarly, Hi-Q Egg Farms wants to build a factory farm with 4 million chickens on 473 acres in Union County....
According to the Buckeye State Blog, Stivers says he against both projects. Keep in mind, he co-sponsored the bill that took away the rights of communities to fight these factory farms.
By the way, part of Union County is in the 15th district. I wonder if the resulting flies and smells could reach the lovely golf courses in Dublin? Just asking.