Kaptur and Joyce urge incoming President to support research of harmful algal blooms

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 18, 2017
Contact: Josh Stewart, (202) 225-4146 or Joshua.Stewart@mail.house.gov  

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) and Rep. David Joyce (OH-14) sent a letter to the incoming administration supporting research into harmful algal blooms (HABs).  A bipartisan group of 47 members of Congress signed on to this letter.

“Algal blooms cause enormous damage in my home state. Lake Erie is the drinking source for some 11 million people and in 2014, a toxic algal bloom in Lake Erie forced 400,000 residents in the Toledo area to go without water service for three days. We owe it to people in the region and nationwide to understand the problem and commit to further research,” said Kaptur. “I join Mr. Joyce and 46 of my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, to urge Mr. Trump’s administration to join us in this commitment. We must do everything possible to learn more about the problem.”

“This is about where we swim, where we fish, and most importantly where we draw our drinking water. No matter what part of the country you live in, there is probably a lake, a river, or some body of water near you that will experience some form of harmful algal bloom,” said Joyce. “We need to continue to better understand this problem to help better protect our Great Lakes, which contains 20 percent of the world’s fresh water.”

“Toxic algae brought the entire city of Toledo to its knees in 2014 when it contaminated nearly half a million Ohioans’ drinking water. This issue is affecting real people in Ohio and beyond and we need leaders to make sure the full cost - both in terms of people’s health and livelihood - is understood and addressed. We cannot afford to wait any longer as toxic algae is only becoming more prevalent, severe, and toxic,” said Kristy Meyer, Managing Direct, Natural Resources, Ohio Environmental Council.

The goal of further research is to minimize the consequences of these events, increase understanding of HABs, the ability to forecast them accurately, and knowledge of the human health impacts associated with them. A copy of  the letter can be found here:

Cosigners: Reps. Beatty, Bergman, Bonamici, Castor, Chaffetz, Conyers, Crist, Curbelo, DeFazio, Deutch, Dingell, Duffy, Esty, Fudge, Gibbs, Higgins (NY), Huizenga, Johnson (OH), Katko, Keating, Kelly (PA), Kilmer, Kind, Langevin, Latta, Lee, Levin, Love, Mast, McCollum, Moulton, Norton, Pingree, Posey, Quigley, Renacci, Ros-Lehtinen, Ryan (OH), Scott (VA), Shea-Porter, Slaughter, Soto, Takano, Welch, and Yarmuth.

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