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This NOAA satellite image shows an algae bloom on Lake Erie in 2011, the worst that had been seen in decades. A similar algae growth-fed by phosphorus contained in farm fertilizer runoff and sewage treatment plants-creates toxins that have contributed to oxygen-deprived dead zones that kill widlife and threaten drinking water supplies. Ohio’s fourth-largest city, Toledo, told residents over the weekend not to drink the water. The ban was officially lifted on Monday morning, but worries remain about the quality of the drinking water or whether the crisis is truly over. (Photo: flickr / cc/ NOAA)
The mayor of Toledo, Ohio on Monday morning announced that in conjuncture with the state EPA he was lifting the emergency “do not drink” order that had left nearly half a million city and nearby residents without water over the weekend following the detection of dangerous levels of microcystin, a toxin created by algae blooms that likely stem farm fertilizers used in the region.
“Our water is safe,” said Mayor D. Michael Collins at a morning news conference outside the Lucas County Emergency Services Building, calling it a “good day” for area residents.
However, experts note that the algae bloom-which is being fed by the phosphorous-laden agriculture runoff from the region’s farms-will continue to be fed and that the hot, dry weather of late summer is likely to exacerbate the conditions in which the microcystin flourishes.
Microcystin can specifically target the liver of those who ingest it and is particularly harmful-and possibly deadly-for older people, those with pre-existing liver damage or immunity problems, and young children. The toxin is also deadly for animal life and the areas overall ecosystem.
In a letter (pdf) sent to the mayor’s office approving the lifting of the ban earlier in the day, director of the Ohio EPA Craig Butlter said, “Laboratory analyses of samples collected at the Collins Park Water Treatment Plant and throughout the distribution system indicate that contaminants have been consistently below the drinking water advisory threshold.”
Writing for the Toledo Blade, local journalist Tom Henry was among those who toured Lake Erie on Sunday as he took in a firsthand look at the “pea soup color” of the algae bloom that was the source of the crisis:
The lake’s rapid deterioration 2 miles off the Toledo shoreline created a gripping sight on Sunday for about 20 people – a combination of journalists, elected officials, and environmentalists – aboard a vessel captained by Vern Meinke, owner of Meinke Marina, of Curtice, Ohio.
Many of them compared the lake’s current color to that of pea soup. As Mr. Meinke’s boat plied the water, waves behind it looked like thick, green paint.
“What we’ve experienced here shows us this is a dangerous situation,” Toledo Councilman Larry Sykes said.
He’s not known for being a rabid environmentalist, nor is he known for failing to speak his mind. He seemed utterly dumbfounded how such a beautiful body of water could be transformed into sheer ugliness virtually overnight, fouled by a toxic form of algae known as microcystis that is fed by excessive phosphorus from farm runoff, lawn fertilizers, and sewage overflows.