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Ultimatum to Buckeye Egg ought to apply to future

The State of Ohio finally is getting tough with Buckeye Egg Farm.

After years of complaints from people who live near the facilities of Buckeye Egg, formerly known as AgriGeneral, a letter from the Ohio attorney general's office states that Buckeye Egg must reduce fly infestations, limit expansion plans and flock size and pay $750,000 in civil penalties by Nov. 30 or face possible legal action and the loss of state permits.

Ohio did not have much experience with megafarms when AgriGeneral arrived in Licking, Wyandot, Hardin and Marion counties. It gained a lot as the operations came to house 10 million chickens.

Ohioans now should be asking if state officials -- from the EPA, agriculture department, attorney general's office and others -- are ready to use that experience to head off problems if new megafarms are developed in the state.

The stream pollution, labor troubles, insect and odor nuisances and other problems that have been the hallmark of Buckeye Egg should not have to be experienced again before action is taken.

We'd like to think that Thursday's tough talk by Attorney General Betty Montgomery would apply to future megafarms.

The people who might be their neighbors certainly hope so.