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Lucas County Commissioners reiterate call for Lake Erie
Impairment designation in light of US EPA holding state of
Ohio accountable for health of Lake Erie
The Lucas County
Commissioners applaud the decision of the United States
Environmental Protection Agency to reject the Ohio
Environmental Agency’s 2016 list of impaired waters in Ohio,
which failed to include the impairment designation of Ohio’s
portion of the open waters of Western Lake Erie.
“The health of Lake Erie
continues to be a top priority of the Lucas County
Commissioners,” said Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak. “We
have a dynamic program to identify sources and amounts of
nutrients flowing into Lake Erie. Our offer to partner with
state and federal EPA officials to ensure that these sources
are identified and mitigated is still on the table,”
concluded Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak, referring to
the County and City of Toledo Nutrient Source Inventory.
“We’re gratified the US
EPA is enforcing the Clean Water Act and requiring the State
of Ohio to follow the law. This is a significant move to
protect drinking water and the health of Lake Erie,” said
Commissioner Carol Contrada. “This will provide the
accountability that 11 million citizens that are affected by
the health of Lake Erie expect,” concluded Commissioner
Carol Contrada.
“The Ohio EPA has received
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding since 2011 to
monitor nutrient levels in the western basin. Director
Butler’s defense that they don’t have the data to make an
impairment designation doesn’t add up – and now the Trump
Administration agrees,” said Commissioner Pete Gerken.
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