(Toledo, OH) Lucas County Commissioners are none too happy about a recent decision by the federal EPA.
The agency is refusing to place Lake Erie on its impaired waterways list, meaning there won't be extra funding for cleanup to avoid toxic algae blooms.
Lucas County Commissioners issued a statement, blaming state and federal officials for "foot dragging," leading to another summer season where the drinking water supply will be threatened and economic harm done.
Meantime, work is underway to determine where some of Lake Erie's worst algal blooms will appear.
Heidelberg University researchers are taking water samples from the Maumee River to test for phosphorous. The so-called algae food comes from fertilizer used on farms. Recent heavy rain and increasing farming activity are expected to increase the risk of toxic algae formation along the river and Lake Erie.