Ohio Governor John Kasich's budget plan puts a halt to the dumping of sediment dredged from harbors and rivers into Lake Erie.
The governor wants all dredged material to be diverted from open-lake disposal by 2020. Some researchers believe that contributes to toxic algae blooms plaguing the lakes. Kasich's budget also would prohibit farmers in the western Lake Erie basin from spreading manure or fertilizer on frozen, snow-covered or rain-soaked ground unless a proper disposal technique, such as injection, were used. Spreading manure would require a new state permit under the bill. That measure also imposes limits and expands monitoring of phosphorus discharges from public wastewater treatment plants.
