Yesterday, Ohio governor John Kasich announced his administration would officially declare the western portion of Lake Erie as impaired under terms from the Clean Water Act. Environmental groups and political leaders have been calling for an impaired designation for years, noting the increased severity and frequency of harmful algal blooms in this area. Whether stricter regulations and/or enforcement of policies will happen is still uncertain. Craig Butler, director of the EPA, states he does not believe new regulations will surface since Ohio has a federally approved plan in place that addresses algal blooms. Agencies like the Environmental Law & Policy Center who put forth the lawsuit for the impairment designation state business as usual is not enough; the impairment designation is the first step, but stricter and enforced regulations are the steps that will actually make an impact. Read the full article here!
