On March 7, EPA announced a domestic action plan for addressing harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie. The development of this domestic action plan was agreed upon by Canada and the United States under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) and presents a summary of state and federal efforts to reduce the amount of phosphorus, a major contributor to the increase in algal blooms, entering the lake.
A highlight of the report is the U.S. commitment to reduce the country’s phosphorus load by 7.3 million pounds per year, a 40% reduction from 2008 levels. The document states the “primary goal of this plan is to enable U.S. federal and state partners and our stakeholders to measure and track our collective progress in meeting the phosphorus reduction targets in Lake Erie”, and gives five main objectives: clearly articulate federal and state commitments; identify potential policy/program needs; provide focus for allocation of resources; establish accountability for actions and results; and provide a consistent framework across the Lake Erie basin for implementing programs and monitoring success.
The report outlines measurable actions and milestones for the contributing parties to achieve from 2018-2023. The United States and Canada are required to report on the water quality status of the Great Lakes every three years under the GLWQA. The first of these was released in December of last year. The next triennial report is expected in 2019.