Environmental groups back Kasich's algal bloom action

SANDUSKY — Environmental groups are (mostly) praising Gov. John Kasich's decision to impose additional regulations on some farmers in the area draining into western Lake Erie.On Wednesday, the same day he signed the Clean Lakes 2020 bill pumping an additional $36 million into efforts to deal with harmful algal blooms, the governor issued an executive order imposing new regulations on how farmers use fertilizer in eight drainage areas feeding into the Maumee River.The next day, scientists gathered for a news conference at Stone Laboratory near Put-in-Bay and offered a forecast for the size of the 2018 harmful algal bloom in Lake Erie. It will be smaller than 2017's large bloom but bigger than the small bloom in 2016, about in the middle for recent blooms, they said. Peter Bucher, water resources director for the Ohio Environmental Council, said Thursday that the governor's order was "a step in the right direction." The designation of the eight watersheds as "distressed" still needs to be approved by the Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Commission, Bucher noted.On Friday, Kasich announced he has appointed two new members to the Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Commission, to terms that begin on July 13 and end on June 30, 2022. One of the appointees, Kate Bartter, is director of the Office of Energy and Environment at Ohio State University, in charge of the campus' sustainability efforts. The other appointee, Bethany Gibson, is from Ashville. The National Wildlife Federation also praised the governor's action."The status quo is clearly not working and has put the staggering economic and environmental costs of toxic algae onto people, businesses, utilities and communities. It will be essential for Ohio's public officials to accelerate efforts to reduce runoff pollution — including the establishment of water quality goals for these eight areas and a strong framework for accountability," said Gail Hesse, Great Lakes Water Program director for the group.Laura Johnson, director of the National Center for Water Quality Research at Heidelberg University, said the governor's order targets areas that have contributed large amounts of phosphorus to the southern part of the Maumee River area.In theory, the governor's order could be effective, Johnson said. It will be important for farmers to follow their nutrient management plans, and it's also important to put the fertilizer below the surface, she said.The first step is for farmers to test their soil and not add too much phosphorus, Johnson said.Advocates for a Clean Lake Erie, a group based in Toledo, criticized the governor's order in a news release and said it fails to deal with manure generated by Confined Animal Feeding Operations.The group accused the Ohio Environmental Council of "standing in" for the Ohio Farm Bureau.Bucher said the criticism of his group is not fair."We have chosen to focus on different things," he said.The Ohio Farm Bureau complained about the governor's order and said it hadn't been consulted. The farm bureau said Kasich had failed to keep a promise to be transparent in proposing regulations.Reach reporter Tom Jackson at jackson@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @jacksontom.A harmful algal bloom near Kelleys Island, as seen from the air.