Ohio Legislature to Take Action on Toxic Algae Blooms

versOne of the biggest news stories of 2014 in Ohio took place this summer when approximately 500,000 people in and around Toledo were forced to go 3 days without safe drinking water due to toxic algae in Lake Erie.  The algae bloom sparked urgent discussion amongst local and state political leaders as to what could be done to prevent this problem from happening again in the future.  It shined a spotlight on a problem that has been seen elsewhere in the state in locations such as Grand Lake St. Mary’s.

The toxic algae blooms feed on phosphorous, much of which is suspected to have entered the water as a result of runoff from farm fields.  Some researchers have indicated that they believe up to 2/3 of the algae bloom problem can be directly traced to agricultural runoff.

Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Randy Gardner (Bowling Green), is now being fast-tracked through the legislature in an effort to curb these problems.  The bill would prohibit spreading fertilizers or manure on frozen and snow covered fields when there is a much greater likelihood of runoff becoming a problem.  The bill would also end a recent practice of the Army Corps. Of Engineers dumping dredged materials from ports and harbors further out into the lake.  Those dredged soils would now have to be disposed of elsewhere.  The proposed law would create a new office within the Ohio EPA tasked with addressing harmful algae management.  Responsibility for controlling phosphorous runoff would no longer fall under the purview of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and instead would be given to the Ohio Department of Agriculture due to their closer ties to farmers and agricultural businesses.  Additionally, funding would be set aside for monitoring algae blooms and for training farmers on environmentally safer agricultural practices.  Leaders from both parties in the State Legislature hope that this measure can be acted upon quickly so that it can be sent to Governor John Kasich for his signature.

In addition to Senate Bill 1, Governor Kasich’s budget proposal includes funding for interest-free loans to farmers who plant winter cover crops to reduce runoff.  The proposal also includes state money to be put towards the construction of modern manure storage facilities.  Kasich has also asked for regulation of fertilizers to be tightened to include manure from large scale agricultural operations.

Research will continue to be done and new proposals will be made in the future as governmental leaders will work to do what they can in order to be sure that there is never a repeat of the Toledo water fiasco again.