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State Representative Jim Buchy
Asking
Questions about the Impact of the North Coast on Nutrient Loading
Recent concerns at Lake Erie have increased public awareness of the
importance of water and reducing phosphorous loading in Ohio
waterways. Water is important to our quality of life and the
recent issues in Toledo that left 400,000 residents without clean
drinking water has brought this issue to the fore front in a hurry.
The Mayor of Toledo acted swiftly to ensure the citizens of Toledo were
kept safe following an algae bloom over the top of the water intake for
the City of Toledo and surrounding municipalities that receive their
water from the city. Algae blooms need sunshine, phosphorous and
light to grow. Reducing nutrients available for algae blooms and
upgrading procedures at water treatment plants are the only way to
reduce these risks.
In west central Ohio, we are very familiar with this issue because of
Grand Lake St. Marys and the algae problems at the shallow man-made
lake. Celina receives water from the lake but to-date has not had
a problem like Toledo. The two issues are very different from one
another.
The concentration of agricultural producers in the Grand Lake St. Marys
watershed is very high, but the problems at the lake are caused by the
build-up of nutrients for 150 years. The state of Ohio and local
people have responded by using aerators to increase oxygen in the lake
and building treatment trains to reduce nutrients in incoming
waters. Coupled with efforts for better management of nutrients
in the watershed, Grand Lake St. Marys is moving in the right direction.
The watershed that feeds the western basin of Lake Erie also has active
production agriculture that has certainly played a role in the algae
growth on the lake, but to fully understand the issues in Lake Erie, I
am asking a lot of questions about Ohio’s north coast and the
activities taking place very close to the lake’s shore.
The City of Toledo and other north coast cities need to join farmers in
examining the management of nutrients to ensure citizens have access to
safe drinking water. Going back to 1988, I believe the City of Toledo
has mismanaged its wastewater treatment sludge. As concerns have grown
in recent years, the Ohio EPA started monitoring the process used by
Toledo to get rid of sludge. The EPA has also been working with
the city to improve practices at the water treatment plant.
The current Mayor has displayed a commitment to working on these issues
and even recently announced the city’s plans to change some of the
practices regarding sludge management. It will be important for
all north coast cities and farmers in Ohio to continue improving the
way we handle nutrients. Ensuring safe drinking water for our
citizens is a fundamental responsibility of government at all levels.
As we work through the issues with phosphorous loading in Ohio’s
waterways, I intend to continue asking questions. We already know
the situation in Toledo and at Grand Lake St. Marys are very different
situations. In my meetings with state officials, I have been
reminded of these differences and it is clear the state is working to
address these issues in different ways that are unique to the issues of
each watershed. In Ohio we have been working with farmers to
change practices such as requiring more training for commercial
nutrient applicators.
As we continue to work on the agricultural issues we cannot forget
about the major contribution that may be made by Ohio’s north coast
municipalities. We must give serious consideration to all sources
of phosphorous loading.
Please give me your opinion on this topic and others in the news this
month by completing an online survey at tinyurl.com/buchyseptember2014.
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