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More than $150
Million in targeted resources for local water systems and farmers
COLUMBUS – Today Gov. John R. Kasich and members of his Cabinet
announced major new multi-agency initiatives that make available
significant resources to local communities and the agriculture
community to help further strengthen protections for Lake Erie water
quality and local drinking water supplies.
The initiatives were unveiled by the directors of the Ohio
Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Agriculture and
Department of Natural Resources at the Kris Swartz Farm in Perrysburg.
Highlights include:
· $150 million in zero-interest loans for local water plants: $150
million in no-interest loans for improvements to local drinking water
and wastewater treatment facilities, reconfirming a single statewide
testing protocol for microcystin approved by the Ohio EPA and US EPA,
$1 million for local water systems for testing equipment and training,
and testing support from Ohio EPA’s lab for any system that requests it;
· Support for agriculture: $1.25 million for farmers to plant cover
crops or install controlled drainage devices that protect against
nutrient runoff and help support water quality, and;
· $2 million for research: $2 million to Ohio universities for further
research on algal blooms.
“Lake Erie is one of Ohio’s most precious resources and each day
millions turn to it for drinking as well as their livelihoods. Ohio has
been increasingly aggressive in protecting it and we’re building on
those efforts with new resources for those on the front lines of this
battle. There’s more work to be one and we’re going to keep pushing
forward,” said Kasich.
Over the past four years, Ohio has made significant progress in
protecting the lake, including:
· Restricting water amounts that can be pumped out of the Lake Erie
watershed;
· Enacting new regulations on fertilizer application to reduce the
nutrient runoff that contributes to algal blooms;
· Reducing open-water dumping of Maumee River dredge material and
prohibiting open-water dumping of Cuyahoga River dredge material;
· Banning oil and gas production under Lake Erie; and
· Helping combat invasive species via mutual aid agreements with nine
other Great Lakes states and Canadian provinces.
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