Last Updated: Tuesday, 12-Feb-2008 09:55:04 EST

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations

General Information on NPDES Permitting and CAFOs in Ohio

Ohio's Surface Water Permitting Laws and Rules

The following is a list of Ohio Revised Code (ORC) and Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) chapters related to the Division of Surface Water's CAFO Permitting Program:

 
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  • OAC Chapter 3745-1, Water Quality Standards. Water quality standards for surface waters of the state. This page also provides links to the rules for Water Body Use Designations, including which water bodies are designated as State Resource Waters.

    • OAC Chapter 3745-1-05, Antidegradation (PDF 96K). The Federal Water Quality Standard (WQS) program regulations require that states adopt and use an antidegradation policy. The policy has two distinct purposes. First, an antidegradation policy must provide a decision-making process to evaluate the need to lower water quality. Regulated activities should not lower water quality unless the need to do so is demonstrated based on technical, social and economic criteria. The second purpose of an antidegradation policy is to ensure that the state's highest quality streams, rivers and lakes are preserved.

    • Ohio EPA developed the Antidegradation Waterbody Classification System (PDF 9K) to classify waters according to their required protection levels under the Antidegradation provisions. OAC 3745-1-05 identifies Special High Quality Waters (PDF 32K) eligible for increased protections under the Antidegradation provisions.


  • OAC Chapter 3745-33, Ohio NPDES Permits. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program. Provides permitting requirements for municipal and industrial discharges to waters of the state.

  • OAC Chapter 3745-38, Ohio NPDES General Permits. Requirements for permits that cover categories of discharges by facilities conducting similar activities.

  • Ohio Revised Code Chapter 6111, Water Pollution Control. Specifies the powers of Ohio EPA with respect to water pollution control.

Ohio's CAFO NPDES Program

You can find general information about Ohio EPA's CAFO NPDES permit program in the following fact sheets:

Ohio's NPDES program for CAFOs incorporates the requirements of U.S. EPA's CAFO regulations under the Clean Water Act. You can use the links below to find out more about the federal CAFO requirements.

CAFOs and Ohio's Water Quality

Of the 257,000 animal feeding operations in the United States today, about 15,500 are CAFOs. There are about 150 Large CAFOs in Ohio. A number of smaller operations have also applied for coverage under NPDES CAFO permits. These operations generate manure, litter and process wastewater, which can contain pollutants like nitrogen, phosphorus, metals and bacteria. If CAFO operators do not manage these materials properly, they could release pollutants into the environment through spills, overflows or runoff. These releases, in turn, might pollute surface waters and threaten the health of people and animals. On the other hand, when operators manage manure, litter and process wastewater properly, they help to prevent water pollution and its negative impacts.

Organic enrichment and low dissolved oxygen, sediment and siltation, nutrients, pathogens, metals and ammonia are among the leading causes of water quality impairment in Ohio. Discharges and polluted runoff from CAFOs can contribute to the water quality impacts caused by these pollutants.

Ohio EPA's Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program focuses on identifying and restoring polluted rivers, streams, lakes and other surface water bodies. A TMDL includes an assessment of water quality problems in a water body and contributing sources of pollution. TMDLs for the following water bodies describe impacts from animal feeding operations: