U.S. House passes Portman’s algal bloom legislation

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed U.S. Sen. Rob Portman’s (R-Ohio) Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2013.

The legislation, authored by Portman and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), would reauthorize the Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) and Hypoxia Research and Control Act, which was first enacted in 1998 and reauthorized in 2004 and 2008. The program has served as the federal government’s research and response framework for harmful algal blooms. Portman’s bill passed the Senate in February 2014.

“This legislation takes critical steps toward protecting Lake Erie and Grand Lake St. Marys from harmful algae that has become a tremendous problem for fresh water bodies in our state,” Portman said in a statement. “As families and businesses across Ohio continue to live in a time of economic uncertainty, we cannot afford to let this threaten our tourism and fishing industries. I’m pleased the House passed this bill and I urge my Senate colleagues to support final passage.”

Recently, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency  issued toxic algae warnings for Buckeye Lake in Columbus. This is the fourth consecutive summer that toxic algae warnings have been issued for Buckeye Lake. Ohio EPA has spent $700,000 over the last four years on efforts to reduce algae blooms at Buckeye Lake, according to a release from Portman’s office.

In 2013, the city of Toledo was forced to spend $3 million to protect the city's water supply from Lake Erie's toxic algae and Columbus spent $723,000 to address an algae outbreak at Hoover Reservoir. It costs the city of Celina $450,000 annually to combat algae in Grand Lakes St. Marys. According to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report, U.S. seafood and tourism industries suffer annual losses of $82 million due to economic impacts of HABs.

Story originally published in The Hannah Report on June 10, 2014. Copyright 2014 Hannah News Service, Inc.