The Lake Erie Charter Boat Association is among a half dozen environmental and business groups that have joined a lawsuit this week against the U.S. EPA.
The Clean Water Act requires that states submit lists to U.S. EPA every two years of “impaired” waters they’re working to improve. The agency O-K's or rejects the lists, usually in 30 days. But it’s been six month since Ohio submitted its latest list--which notably did not include Lake Erie and its algae problems--and there has been no specific word about it yet from U.S. EPA.
Paul Pacholski, is president of the Charter Boat Association. “This lawsuit is basically to pin them against the wall and say: ‘yes, it’s impaired, or no it’s not.’ And if it’s impaired: ‘this is what we are going to do under the clean water act.’”
Pacholski says the urgency for a decision is driven by the coming of spring, warm water, and the possibility of algae blooms.
