Something stinks like dead fish. And it’s because Michigan and Ohio apparently disagree on more than just football. Consider the fact that both states border Lake Erie and count on the shallowest of the Great Lakes for drinking water, recreation and commerce.
It’s no secret the lake has been threatened by harmful algal blooms. If presented with enough evidence that the lake is “impaired,” the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could tap the Clean Water Act to help eliminate the problem, primarily caused by phosphorous runoff. If state EPAs say a lake or river is impaired, that holds some water with the feds.
Michigan’s EPA has declared Lake Erie’s open waters to be impaired. Ohio’s EPA says the lake’s shorelines and areas around drinking water intakes are impaired (and have been since 2015). But it has not given the same designation to the open waters. Why not?
The Ohio EPA claims it is not opposed to making an impairment designation if warranted. But it won’t at this point because it says there are no clear scientific standards or methods in place to make the call.
But U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur of the 9th district says calling shorelines and intake area impaired but not open water just doesn’t make sense.
“That would suggest that algal blooms are only a health and environmental issue if they happen to float to the shore or to the intake units. That is just not the case. The blooms are mobile and present a threat to the overall health of the lake, its fishery and to those who come in contact with its waters if harmful bacteria are not kept in check,” says Kaptur.
Kaptur’s ally is Michigan’s U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, who agrees and says lake water doesn’t know there is a hard border between states like there is on land.
“Ohio has to be dragged to the table,” says Dingell.
Heidi Griesmer, Ohio EPA deputy director of communication, reports that since 2011 Ohio has spent more than $3.6 billion statewide “to improve water quality and tackle key wastewater and drinking water infrastructure issues.”
“Lake Erie does not belong just to Ohio, so Ohio alone cannot solve this problem,” says Griesmer.
And that’s what Kaptur and Dingell are saying.
“The two states bordering the lake should be in sync in their approach to addressing its problems,” says Kaptur. “Ohio could reconsider its position, or the U.S. EPA could use its established authority to overrule Ohio’s decision and develop a process to quantify causes and identify solutions.”
Dingell believes that once the lake is classified as impaired, the states
will work with the U.S. EPA to find solutions. She favors a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) model, which describes a maximum value of pollutants that a body of water can receive and still meet water quality standards. Dingell points to the Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Project as a TMDL example that reduced algal blooms.
This past December, the U.S. EPA released its National Lakes Assessment showing that four in 10 lakes contain too much nitrogen and phosphorous. Since the EPA challenged states to step up their efforts to reduce the levels, it has provided training, financing and technology to meet the goals. Some believe reduction may be achieved with EPA help, even if Ohio doesn’t change its designation.
Lake Erie also is getting a safety net from the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, passed by Congress late last year. One of its provisions is to improve drinking water infrastructure around the country. It can help put algal blooms on notice.