Ohio Looks to Create Phosphorous Discharge Limit for Permitted Facilities

The Ohio Lake Erie Commission and the State of Ohio have released a draft Ohio Domestic Action Plan to reduce phosphorus entering Lake Erie under the binational Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement with a goal of reducing phosphorus loading to Lake Erie by 40% by 2025. The draft Ohio plan is a continuation of the Western Basin of Lake Erie Collaboration Implementation Framework finalized by the State of Ohio in early 2017.

The Ohio Lake Erie Commission will coordinate finalizing the Ohio Domestic Action Plan with Ohio EPA, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Department of Health and Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which each share responsibility for implementing the plan. Each agency will be accountable for implementing their respective areas of authority included in the state plan to meet the overall 40% reduction.

Included in the plan is a proposal to create an annual discharge limit of 1 mg/l of total phosphorous for every permitted facility. This could prove problematic for manufacturers.

Public comments can be emailed to the commission and are being accepted until the close of business on Sept. 25. The commission will host two public meetings on Sept. 12 and 13, 2017, to provide information about the draft plan. Both meetings will be held from 7-9 p.m. The Sept. 12 meeting will be at Lake Erie Center, 6200 Bay Shore Rd, Oregon. The Sept. 13 meeting will be at Painesville Township Hall, 55 Nye Rd., Painesville. 9/7/2017