Ex-head of Ohio agriculture department believes he was fired over algae plan

COLUMBUS (AP) — The state’s former agriculture director says he believes he was dismissed by Gov. John Kasich because he had reservations about the governor’s approach to tackling toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie.

Former Agriculture Director David Daniels tells The Columbus Dispatch he received no explanation for his firing Friday by Kasich, a fellow Republican. Daniels says his dismissal came after he had expressed concerns about Kasich’s executive order July 11 calling for a more aggressive approach to limit fertilizer runoff that contributes to Lake Erie’s toxic algae blooms.

Kasich’s spokesman Jon Keeling has declined to comment.

Daniels says he wants clean water, but there aren’t enough resources to execute the plan. He says there are concerns the plan is “unworkable.”

A task force will evaluate the plan.