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State Representative Jim Buchy
Improving the
Water Quality: Input from All Interested Parties is a Must
In western Ohio, we have been tackling the issue of water quality for
several years at a number of our inland lakes that are very important
to tourism in the region. We are familiar with the struggles to reduce
nutrient-loading in our waterways. With a lot of knowledge gained
from our efforts, Ohio is extending efforts into many sub-watersheds
that feed the western basin of Lake Erie. Based on my experience
with this issue, the Speaker has asked me to lead the efforts on a
water quality bill as a joint sponsor with Representative Dave Hall.
As a testament of our commitment to this issue, the House Agriculture
and Rural Development Committee is holding field hearings in northwest
Ohio to gather information on the issues leading to nutrient loading in
the western basin of Lake Erie. The issue of water quality cannot be
solved in Columbus. We must hear from the experts working on this
issue every day.
The committee has been fortunate to hear from agronomists, farmers,
municipal workers and concerned citizens regarding the impacts of
activities on the ground. The group of legislators focused on
this issue in the House all agree that we need legislation that fixes
existing problems and we need to avoid creating new ones. We are
focused on removing barriers that are keeping individuals, businesses
and government officials from doing what is necessary to reduce
nutrient loading.
In our hearing, a continued theme is successes already made in the
agriculture community. The new nutrient application training
courses, which became law during the last General Assembly in House
Bill 150, are showing promise that Ohio’s farmers are taking the lead
to avoid application of excess nutrients on our valuable farm
ground. Evidence of this success is seen in the rush by those in
the ag community to attend the trainings and get certified. The first
meetings held were very well attended, with farmers wanting to take a
lead in tackling this important issue.
Farmers need to work with us to ensure the legislature is able to pass
meaningful legislation that will result in decreased nutrient loading,
specifically in northwest Ohio. As we work with farmers, a major
focus for the members of the Agriculture and Rural Development
Committee is learning about the dredging processes. Up to this point,
dredging the nutrient rich sediment and hauling it deeper into the lake
has left nutrients in the water to grow algae.
The committee also needs to learn about the way municipalities on the
north coast are handling human sludge. As recent as this past summer, a
major municipality on Ohio’s north coast was storing tons of sludge
just feet from the waters edge in the Maumee Bay. Like the issue
with dredging, we must look for a better way to ensure that these
materials retain their nutrients and are applied to agricultural land
so that crops are consuming the nutrients, not the harmful algae in the
water.
In our part of the state, we are familiar with the issues of water
quality. That is why we need to communicate with individuals in
northern Ohio to ensure that the best possible practices are used to
reduce nutrient loading in Lake Erie. As one of the House Joint
Sponsors of the water quality bill, I have an obligation to ensure we
are fully reviewing all aspects of nutrient handling in northern Ohio
to keep the nutrients where they belong.
Please share your opinions on this and other issues by visiting
my online survey http://tinyurl.com/buchyfebruary2015
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