COLUMBUS — The Ohio House on Thursday overwhelmingly approved creation of a permanent trust fund to promote a healthy recovery for an ailing Lake Erie and other Ohio waterways.
House Bill 7, sponsored by Reps. Haraz Ghanbari (R., Bowling Green) and John Patterson (D., Jefferson), passed by a vote of 90-3. It now goes to the Senate, where it is unlikely to see a vote before both chambers recess for the summer next week, while the lake again endures what is predicted to be a bad toxic algal bloom.
“Millions of persons along both sides of Lake Erie depend upon our Great Lake for their drinking water,” Mr. Patterson said. “One word, one word, should send a chill down our collective spines when the unthinkable becomes reality, and that one word is ‘Toledo.’
“To think that a major first-world city in 2014 was forced to hand out bottled water for its citizens is not only embarrassing but is deeply troubling,” he said. “But algal blooms are not just confined to Lake Erie.”
The proposed H2Ohio Trust Fund represents the House’s vision for long-term viability of funding to address water quality in the state beyond the start-up funds that will be included in the next two-year budget.
The House-passed budget holds $86 million for one year while the Senate proposes $172 million for two years. But the long-term strategy continues to be debated.
Gov. Mike DeWine had originally proposed front-loading all $900 million for a 10-year program using anticipated budget surpluses. A bill in the Senate would borrow $1 billion for a 10-year plan.
“This problem will not be solved in the life of this General Assembly, nor will it be solved in the life of this administration,” Mr. Patterson said. “Legacy phosphorous does not simply disappear. This is precisely why the H2Ohio program will be permanent, not just a 10-year endeavor but one that will require future generations to do their part.”
The trust, designed to operate in perpetuity, would be fueled by borrowing, year-end budget surpluses, gifts, profits from real estate transactions, investment returns, and appropriated taxpayer dollars.
A new H2Ohio Advisory Council, appointed by the governor and legislative leaders, would oversee disbursements of grants and loans for projects designed to improve water quality.
The existing Ohio Water Development Authority would assist the state treasurer with the borrowing package.
“All of us recognize that Ohio is blessed to have some of the most famous and beautiful bodies of water in the world,” Mr. Ghanbari said. “We also understand the fact that over the last several decades the quality of these waterways has deteriorated.
“It is our responsibility to protect and preserve Ohio’s water quality and its many freshwater lakes and rivers for future generations to enjoy,” he said.
Rep. Mike Sheehy (D., Oregon) supported the bill despite noting that he’s uncomfortable asking his constituents to again support spending for water quality projects after they’ve already invested millions in sewer and water treatment plant upgrades to address the issue.
“We like to blame septic tanks or maybe the farmers upriver, but, you know what, studies were done and it was found out that … the enemy was us, “ he said.
He had previously expressed disappointment that such funding plans have not come equipped with additional regulation to address runoff from farms that has been determined to be the major current cause of algal blooms.
In urging support, Mr. Patterson said the fund was designed from the start to be “special.”
“In the entire United States, I am not aware of any program such as the H2Ohio Trust Fund, bold in its conception, grand in its design, and visionary in its mission,” he said.
First Published June 20, 2019, 9:49 p.m.
