Lakes, Blooms and Politics
by David Ernes – Lake Sediment/Nutrient Control Subcommittee
Recently, a number of interesting political announcements have appeared in the news about blooms and grants awarded to fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative totaling over 8.4 million dollars to three states, including Ohio. These grants are to be used to study ways to reduce the nutrients going into the lakes, increase monitoring of blooms, and create a database for research and information to find corrective actions to eliminate the public health crisis. Senator Rob Portman has been a strong advocate for this research applauding the success of the grant.
In a few weeks, most of you will be going to the polls and depending on if you are a permanent resident, weekender, or lot owner, the list of candidates may differ. The recent bloom that shut down the water supply for Toledo for several days continues to make national headlines. Our sub-committee has published an abundance of good science based information regarding blooms so that we can all make informed decisions. The link below is to a recent article in the Plain Dealer that offers the views of a number of candidates on lake water quality, blooms, fertilizer, etc. They comment on farming practices, fertilizer selections, and even testing. When you cast your ballot, we ask that you check the candidate’s opinions on these issues, to ensure that grant money goes to good use.
And if they don’t do what they say – write them a letter!
BE LAKE RESPONSIBLE – VOTE
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