Could gov't layoffs affect algal blooms?

SANDUSKY — Layoffs have arrived at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the federal agency that closely tracks harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, and another Great Lakes member of Congress, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, Michigan, have written to agency officials to ask about the layoffs, including new layoffs that target a laboratory that focuses on the Great Lakes. The administration is a leading participant in the annual event at Stone Laboratory near Put-in-Bay that issues an annual forecast on the size of the annual harmful algal bloom in Lake Erie. It carries out research on the blooms and issues an email newsletter every summer that tracks the progress of the bloom. A spokeswoman for the agency insisted the agency's work on Lake Erie algal blooms will continue. "We plan to produce our operational (harmful algal blooms) forecasts and make experts available for interviews about those forecasts," Maureen O'Leary wrote in an email to the Register, adding that the agency "remains dedicated to its mission, providing timely forecasts, research, and resources that serve the American public and ensure our nation's environmental and economic resilience." O'Leary also referred the Register to a document indicating that close tracking of the progress of harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie will continue. More information needed But Kaptur and Dingell say they want to know more. "This letter is to express our serious concerns with the recent layoffs announced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As co-chairs of the Great Lakes Task Force, we are particularly concerned by the impact these staff reductions will have on the Great Lakes," the two members of Congress wrote. "We have learned that at least 15 probationary employees at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab in Ann Arbor, Michigan, were fired as part of the ongoing wave of government-wide layoffs," they wrote. "We have heard directly from those who were terminated, and they are distraught about what this means for the future of the lab and for the Great Lakes in general." Many of the federal employees fired by Elon Musk have been probationary employees, as they are the employees who can be laid off without much paperwork or due process. The agency's press office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from the Register. In their letter to Nancy Hann, the agency's deputy undersecretary for operations, Kaptur and Dingell asked how many National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employees have been laid off and where they worked. They also asked how the layoffs will affect the agency's algal bloom forecast and the agency's tracking of harmful algal blooms in the lake, which can affect municipal water supplies. The letter from Kaptur and Dingell notes that the federal agency has other important responsibilities that could be affected by layoffs. "With extreme weather events becoming more frequent and severe, the role of NOAA in issuing weather warnings and providing vital information to the public is more important than ever," they wrote. "A reduction in personnel and resources could delay or undermine these crucial services, leaving communities vulnerable in the face of storms, tornados, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. This could result in the loss of life and property due to late or delayed warnings." The letter was sent Feb. 28. A spokesman for Kaptur's office said there had been no response so far, other than Dingell's office being able to confirm the letter was received by the administration.