First Posted: 3/10/2015
Lake Erie’s problems with algae blooms, like those of Grand Lake St. Marys, are multifaceted. Thus it shouldn’t be surprising that legislative leaders and the governor’s office need more time to hash out a plan that ensures public safety but is not fraught with over-regulation of farmers.
Still, it was somewhat discouraging to learn this week that some state lawmakers and those within Gov. John Kasich’s administration no longer appear on the same page on this critical issue. This comes after months of hearing all parties say that tackling the algae problem on Lake Erie was one of their priorities.
The three bills being discussed are Senate Bill 1, House Bill 61 and the budget bill, House Bill 64. Each bill initially contained similar provisions: banning spreading fertilizer and manure on frozen and saturated soil in the Western Lake Erie basin; prohibiting the disposal of dredged materials in Lake Erie; and requiring phosphorous monitoring at water treatment plants.
On Tuesday, the Ohio House voted on legislation that was more favorable to the powerful farm lobby and strayed from what Kasich had proposed as well as the measure that already cleared the state Senate. Among the more troublesome House changes was to give farmers an out. It would allow those who did not comply with new standards to avoid penalties as long as they requested assistance from water and soil officials — even if they had already violated the nutrient spreading ban.
Dredging was another area of contention. The Senate believes open lake disposal of dredged material is not a good practice anywhere along Lake Erie while the House bill bans it only in the Maumee River basin.
Even if passed soon, none of the pending bills would have an affect on algae blooms this summer. Cleaning up the algae bloom problems in Lake Erie and elsewhere will take time. But the plan must have some teeth to avoid another “Toledo” — where 400,000 people were left without drinking water for days due to contanimation caused by algal blooms.
Certainly, no one wants to see farmers get punished. Agriculture remains Ohio’s No. 1 industry. However, it is essential to regulate the amount of phosphorus that goes into streams from farm fertilizer, manure and water treatment plants. It is not only a matter of protecting our natural resources. The public’s health is at stake.
