OABA Participates in Agricultural Nutrients and Water Quality Working Group

Group to Develop Recommendations to Address State Water Quality Issues

On September 26, OABA participated in the second meeting of the Directors’ Agricultural Water Quality Working Group. The group consisted of agricultural stakeholders, as well as representatives from the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA), and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Discussions centered on solutions to the issues impacting Lake Erie and Ohio’s inland waters; the group’s goal is to develop a comprehensive set of recommendations to aggressively address agriculture’s cumulative impact on Ohio’s water quality.

“Agriculture is being challenged to maintain profitable farm economics while meeting the increased product demands of a growing population and responding to increased scrutiny of land and resource management,” said Chris Henney, OABA president and CEO. “It is imperative that agribusiness, along with our state’s farmers, step up and meet the challenges with a proactive mentality.”

Once the working group’s recommendations are finalized, the directors of the ODA, Ohio EPA and ODNR plan to present them to Governor Kasich by February 1, 2012. OABA appreciates the administration’s commitment to water quality in Ohio and their interest in working with the agricultural community and stakeholders to develop a comprehensive set of actionable goals. OABA is committed to working with all stakeholders to meet these challenges.