TOLEDO, Ohio -The federal government is offering $2 million to Ohio farmers to help prevent farm runoff that contributes to potentially harmful algae blooms.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo) announced the funds provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, aimed at reducing future algae blooms, Tuesday in Toledo.
Earlier this month, toxins from algae in Lake Erie left about 400,000 people in Toledo without clean tap water for several days.
In a statement, Brown says the federal funding is a critical component to stopping runoff before it starts.
“But these federal funds are just the beginning – we need to utilize every available resource and innovation to reduce the risk for toxic growth, preserve the local environment, and protect our water supply,” he said.
Farmers in 20 counties in the western Lake Erie watershed can apply for some of the funds to plant cover crops to reduce nutrient runoff and erosion.
Brown, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, says in the 2014 Farm Bill would provide up to $1.2 billion nationwide for farmers to implement conservation measures, including those that could reduce runoff into Lake Erie.
The Tri-State Western Lake Erie Basin Phosphorus Reduction Initiative, a partnership among Ohio, Michigan and Indiana, has advanced to the next stage of consideration for a $20 million federal award, $13 million of which would go to Ohio, he said.
Brown also announced plans to reintroduce the Clean Water Affordability Act, which would direct additional funding to communities in Ohio to eliminate combined sewer overflows, which are a contributing factor in harmful algal blooms.