Late last month, the Ohio Department of Agriculture filed a notice of appeal in the 10th District Court of Appeals, seeking to overturn an August decision by the Environmental Review Appeals Commission. The commission’s ruling Aug. 23 reversed a November 2006 decision by the Ohio Department of Agriculture that revoked 16 operating permits for Ohio Fresh Eggs farms.
The permits were revoked based on what the Ohio Department of Agriculture called “false or misleading information” that involved the failure of Ohio Fresh Eggs to disclose that Austin “Jack” DeCoster was an owner on application permits, according to the Mount Vernon News. The Ohio ag department argues that the appearance of DeCoster’s name appeared on the applications would have triggered a background check into his environmental history which includes a history of noncompliance, the paper says.
In a prepared statement, the Department of Agriculture says, “We are hopeful that the appeals court will thoroughly evaluate the case and uphold our original decision to revoke the farm’s permits based on incomplete information on the original application.”