Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur applauds the U.S. EPA’s recent decision to withdraw acceptance of the Ohio EPA’s assessment of impaired waterways. The federal agency changed its mind because the assesssment did not account for Lake Erie’s open waters.
Kaptur points to a three-day period in 2014 during which Toledo residents were told not to use their tap water. The warning came after toxic algae blooms leaked into water treatment facilities.
“That there was this false distinction between the river and the lake. Well, in fact, the river dumps into the lake and it carries all of the nutrients with it.”
Kaptur says the clean water act dictates that when a state fails to assess its waters, the federal EPA must step in and take action. This time, the federal EPA sent the notice back to the state.
The actions the Ohio EPA will take moving forward are not clear.
