Ohio Gov. John Kasich wants to crack down on phosphorus runoff that feeds Lake Erie algal blooms

Gov. John Kasich said he plans to issue an executive order if state lawmakers won't limit fertilizer use in certain parts of the state that contribute to problematic phosphorus and nitrate runoff in Lake Erie. The Ohio General Assembly in 2015 restricted manure and fertilizer application on snow-covered or wet ground in the western basin of Lake Erie with exceptions such as injecting it into the ground or applying it on a cover crop. Another law required large farm owners to obtain a certification in properly applying fertilizer. "We know it's a phosphorous problem and we know what watersheds are the heaviest contributors of phosphorus, so we're looking at what we can do from an executive perspective," Lynch said.Ohio Farm Bureau spokesman Joe Cornely said there's no argument fertilizer nutrients contribute to algal blooms, but additional regulations are premature until research shows what types of nutrients are leaving farm soil and their effect on the problem.