In the News…

by David Ernes – Lake Management Committee

Late last year, in response to the Toledo algal bloom that affected their drinking water, the Ohio House passed legislation known as HB 490. This bill included, among other sections, efforts intended to reduce the nutrients entering the watershed and ultimately Lake Erie by a reducing or eliminating the practice of manure application onto frozen or rain saturated ground. Unfortunately, the bill failed to pass the Senate. The failure was a result of the other provisions of the bill which were added that had nothing to do with Lake Erie water quality. Due to the rules of congress, this legislation was purged, and will have to be redrafted with the new state legislature in place this year (2015).

One of the important aspects of this legislation was that, although originally rejected by the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF), sections of it, including the manure provision, had gained support. This indicates a willingness on the part of the farmers to work with the state to solve this issue. This, in the author’s opinion, is a very good sign for compromise. However, one aspect of the bill that will be of concern for RRA members is that the original bill focused only on the Western Lake Erie Basin. It is therefore important to try to have the legislature consider the entire Lake Erie Basin within the state of Ohio. The Grand River into which Rock Creek flows, eventually ends up in Lake Erie. So it is in our benefit to make them aware of this. The LMC is beginning to look into this and, if possible, we will provide our RRA members some guidance in how to get our opinions heard as the new congress takes up this important subject. If we make our voices heard, we may be able to have an impact in the early stages of the new legislation. Stay tuned for a future article and spot it by our “Love the Lake” logo.

If you want to see more of what the OFBF had to say, you can check out their web site at www.ofbf.org.

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