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An Important Victory for Ohio´s Waterways
Weekly Column from U.S. Senator Rob Portman
Freshwater reserves that provide drinking water to millions
of people in Ohio are under threat from toxins carried by
the spread of algal blooms creating a serious public health
concern. Unfortunately, a lot of Ohioans are already
familiar with the health risks these toxins present.
This month is the one year anniversary of the Toledo water
crisis when up to 500,000 people were without access to
clean drinking water after a harmful algal bloom entered the
area´s water treatment plant. I met with many of those who
were personally affected after I filled my pickup with
bottled water and helped pass out bottles to families who
couldn't use their tap water. It was a dire situation that
lasted for three long days. |
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Just last month, experts predicted that this summer Lake
Erie is on track to experience one of the most severe toxic
algal bloom outbreaks in recent years. Eleven million people
rely on Lake Erie for their drinking supplies, including
three million in Ohio. Just last week, massive algal blooms
were detected in the Western Lake Erie Basin, only a few
miles from the city of Toledo´s water supply intake valve.
Because of this, Toledo city officials have changed the
city´s water quality status from "clear" to "watch," as
small amounts of toxins drifted closer to the intake valve.
And although protecting human health has to be our primary
concern, there is an economic impact, as well. Many
communities rely on our waterways as critical economic
pillars. Lake Erie brought in $1.8 billion in economic
activity and $226.3 million in taxes for 2013 alone. Tourism
around the lake supports one 1 out of every 4 private sector
jobs. I visited Lake Erie last month and hosted a town-hall
meeting with local, state, and federal experts to discuss
the threats to Lake Erie such as harmful algal blooms and
invasive species. I spoke with small business owners,
fishing boat captains, and residents and they were concerned
about the future of the lake. Fighting harmful algal blooms
is necessary to maintaining a healthy environment as well as
a strong economy.
Toledo is not the only city in our state dealing with this
issue. According to the Ohio EPA, 42 water systems in Ohio
are susceptible to harmful algal blooms. The city of Celina
spends $450,000 annually to combat algae in Grand Lakes St.
Marys, and Columbus was forced to spend $723,000 to mitigate
an algae outbreak at Hoover Reservoir in 2013. In fact, all
states are at risk, as the frequency and distribution of
harmful algal blooms have increased significantly in recent
years. Local officials are working hard to solve this
problem, and yet newly published images from a NASA
satellite detect thick algal blooms across the middle of
Lake Erie´s Western Basin.
Fortunately, last week, the Senate passed the Drinking Water
Protection Act, a bill I introduced with Senator Sherrod
Brown that will help protect Lake Erie and other fresh
bodies of water. This important legislation directs the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and report
to Congress a strategic Algal Toxin Risk Assessment and
Management Plan within 90 days. This plan is required to
evaluate and identify the risk to human health from drinking
water contaminated with algal toxins and recommend feasible
treatment options, including procedures on how to prevent
algal toxins from reaching local water supplies and mitigate
any adverse public health effects of algal toxins.
I am very pleased that my legislation, which previously
passed by the House of Representatives with the leadership
of Congressman Bob Latta, is now on its way to the
President´s desk. It is one step towards stopping these
toxic algal blooms and the health dangers they represent. I
will continue to fight to ensure that all levels of
government are committed to fighting this threat.
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