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The U.S. Senate passed legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) to protect Ohio’s drinking water. The Drinking Water Protection Act has passed and is now headed to President Barack Obama for his signature.
“Cities and towns across Ohio need to have the best, most up-to date information on how to keep their drinking water safe,” said Brown. “By targeting harmful algal blooms, we can ensure that communities are prepared to deal with threats to their drinking water systems. This legislation is part of our ongoing efforts to clean up and protect Lake Erie for future generations.”
The Drinking Water Protection Act will direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and report to Congress a strategic Algal Toxin Risk Assessment and Management Plan within 90 days.
“Last summer, families in Toledo were warned not to drink the tap water in their own homes because it was unsafe. This is something no family should have to go through, and this bill will allow federal agencies to better prepare and prevent future disasters like the one we experienced in Toledo,” Portman stated. “By establishing a strategic plan to ward off algae, this is an important victory in our efforts to protect Ohioans and keep our drinking water safe.”
The same bill was introduced in the House by Ohio Representative Bob Latta and passed there as well.
The bill is in response to the Toledo water crisis last year which disrupted the water supply of approximately 500,000 people. Toxic algae has been a problem in Lake Erie and other lakes in Ohio including Bucyrus where a reservoir no longer used for drinking water was determined to have the algae this summer.