Ohio's algae plan lacking, critics say

TOLEDO, Ohio -- Ohio's outline for sharply reducing the cause of a proliferation of algae in Lake Erie clearly shows that changes in farming methods are what's needed.

The blueprint also has a long list of ways to do that, but some environmental groups say the state's updated plan still lacks clear direction about what should come next.

The plan released Nov. 17 is designed to lay out how Ohio intends to reach its goal of reducing by 40 percent the phosphorus that flows into the lake's western end within the next eight years.

Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario along with Ohio signed a deal two years ago agreeing to make steep cuts of phosphorus, which mainly comes from farm fertilizers and livestock manure that wind up in streams and rivers and then feeds algae in the lake.

Ohio's strategy outlines more than 50 steps to take or at least consider, including restoring wetlands along the lakeshore and looking at new limits on city wastewater plants.

But critics say it lacks specifics.

Gail Hesse, director of the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes water program, compared the plan's list of actions toa grocery list. "They added more ingredients, but there's still no recipe," she said.

The plan, for example, calls for continuing and expanding mostly voluntary farming practices -- such as increasing soil testing and installing devices that control storm water -- that are intended to slow fertilizer runoff. But what the plan doesn't get into is how much needs to be done or set goals to reach the 40 percent reduction, Hesse said.

"Those are things we need to link together," she said. "Tell us what's going to prompt that change."

Karl Gebhardt, deputy director for water resources at the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, has said the state's plan will be evolving and if what's being done now isn't working, changes will be made.

A Section on 11/26/2017

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