With 2015's Harmful Algal Bloom Predicted to be the Second-Worst in History, Brown Reaffirms Commitment to Combating Harmful Algae in Lake Erie

Press Release

Following the release of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) 2015 Harmful Algal Bloom Forecast for Lake Erie, which predicted that this year's algal bloom would be the second-worst in Lake Erie's recorded history, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) reaffirmed his dedication to supporting efforts to curb algal bloom and to promote the cleanliness of Lake Erie's waters.

"This year's Harmful Algal Bloom Forecast highlights the pressing need to stay vigilant in protecting Lake Erie," Brown said. "Ohio's economy, environment, and public health all depend on a healthy Lake Erie, free of harmful algal blooms. That's why it's critical that we fully fund agencies and programs like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative for research and prevention efforts."

According to the State of Ohio, more than $10 billion of the state's nearly $40 billion tourism industry is derived from counties along the Lake Erie shoreline. Algal blooms hinder the industry by damaging marine plant and animal species and by making the lake water unsafe for human consumption or activity.

Brown continues to work to preserve the Great Lakes and keep Ohio's water clean and safe. Brown -- the first Ohioan on the Senate Agriculture Committee in nearly 50 years -- helped establish the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) in the 2014 Farm Bill which awarded $17.5 million to the Tri-State Western Lake Erie Basin Phosphorus Reduction Initiative in January to improve water quality in Lake Erie.

In May, Brown applauded news that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had announced a health advisory laying out guidelines for effective monitoring of and treatment of microcystin, a provision of his Safe and Secure Drinking Water Act.

In March, Brown announced that the EPA had awarded more than $4.3 million to combat harmful algae blooms in northwest Ohio through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), an interagency effort to protect the Great Lakes. In February, Brown cosponsored the Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act (GLEEPA), bipartisan legislation that would protect the Great Lakes -- and the millions of jobs they support -- by formally authorizing the GLRI. Last year, Brown helped secure more than $300 million in bipartisan Omnibus Bill funds for the GLRI. After the release of President Obama's budget proposal which recommends a reduction in GLRI funding from $300 million to $250 million, Brown again highlighted the importance of the program.

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