Brown, Portman tackle water safety

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s U.S. senators have banded together to introduce two bills they say will keep drinking water safe from contamination caused by harmful algae blooms like the one that led to a water emergency in Toledo this summer.

Photo courtesy NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
Bacteria traced to algae at the mouth of the Maumee River contaminated Toledo’s city water supply last month. -Photo courtesy NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory

Legislation introduced by Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican Rob Portman would create a central database to help scientists understand what causes the algal blooms in the Great Lakes and the waters of the surrounding states and find the best ways to combat them, the two said in a joint news release Thursday.

“Ensuring we have the best scientific data possible is an important part of preventing another water crisis,” said Portman. “This central database will help scientists, cities, and local officials identify the causes of harmful algal blooms and work to prevent them from affecting our drinking water.”

“This database would help ensure that the best and most up-to-date research and information on algal blooms is available to the public,” Brown said.

Rep. Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) introduced a House companion bill.

The bacteria microcycstin, traced to algae at the mouth of the Maumee River, contaminated Toledo’s city water supply, forcing 400,000 to avoid tap water for nearly three days early last month.

The database created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the Great Lakes and Fresh Water Algal Blooms Information Act would receive voluntary submissions of research and information on the causes of algal blooms in the lakes, their tributaries, and surface fresh waters.

NOAA would report to Congress annually on the comprehensive findings and actions that were submitted.

Wednesday, Portman and Brown introduced the Safe and Secure Drinking Water Act, which directs the Environmental Protection Agency to publish a health advisory and submit reports on what constitutes a safe level of microcystins in drinking water.