The Free Market Won't Fix the Toxic Algae Blooms

I'm not sure when the free market is supposed to come along and fix things...or when it becomes too expensive to throw taxpayer money at a problem to fix what regulation could have fixed CHEAPER. I think the All Republican Government in Ohio is testing those limits right now. They're spending millions.

MMMMMMMMMMILLIONS.

The State of Ohio is spending MILLIONS of dollars battling toxic algae blooms. And not even in Lake Erie, but in a much, much smaller lake.

Ohio spent millions of tax dollars this summer fighting toxic, blue-green algae in Grand Lake St. Marys with chemicals, dredging equipment and nets.

Grand Lake St. Mary's...that's like way south of Lake Erie and near the border of Indiana.

What's Ohio doing about the algae blooms in Lake Erie? You know, the lake that generates over 10 BILLION dollars in economic activity?

Study groups.

Erie saw a record toxic-algae bloom spread across its western basin this year, adding to the “dead zone” where fish can’t live and threatening the lake’s $10 billion annual tourism industry.

A massive economic driver is in peril from toxic algae blooms, and the state can't muster the political will to do what needs to be done, through a sound economic regulatory framework.

Critics say that state officials know that farms and sewage-treatment plants are the biggest culprits but are reluctant to mandate changes.

Let's get a clue here.....the free market can't fix this.

The free market WON'T fix this.

Here's what happens when Lake Erie becomes a toxic dead zone: business dies or goes someplace else. It doesn't fix the problem. I just leaves.

Toxic, Liver Damaging Algae Blooms Expand in Lake Erie

And back to algae blooms. TOXIC, liver damaging algae blooms. The size of Rhode Island.

Last we left our Lake Erie algae bloom, it looked something like this:



There it is in the west side of Lake Erie. Expanding. Festering.

Now states are issuing warnings about high levels of toxicity in the water because of toxic algae blooms like the one seen above.

New, heightened warnings have been issued for Lake Erie, as tests show increased levels of toxic algae in the water.

Signs have been posted at Maumee Bay State Park, warning visitors not to swim in the water and to avoid touching the surface scum.

"Right now in Lake Erie, we have the worst alga bloom that we've had since I started working on Lake Erie, since I started working on Lake Erie in 2002," said Thomas Bridgeman, ecologist with the University of Toledo, "The bloom of 2011 is at least two and half times greater than the previous largest bloom."

The algae bloom, commonly called blue-green algae, is toxic to mammals, damaging the liver.

Okay. But why is this happening?

Once again, we go back to recent studies about how zebra and quagga mussels are focusing increasing amounts of phosphorous and other toxins near the lakeshore, helping to focus more algae blooms near the lake shore even though total lake phosphorous levels may be down.

Zebra and quagga mussels eat algae, but can pass up the stuff they can't eat, leaving only the toxic algae to infest the lakes.

We're seeing this happening RIGHT NOW in Lake Erie.

This isn't just random academic stuff. This is happening right now in part of the Great Lakes.

Part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is focusing on finding long term ways to battle invasive species, though it's unlikely they can be eliminated. Funding for continuation of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is currently uncertain due to the crazed individuals currently demanding cuts, cuts, and more cuts in penny-wise pound-fooling game. Ironically, many of the most recent congressional members of this slash and burn policy are from Great Lakes States like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio. Huizenga is my congressman, who SHOULD be representing our interests here as one of a few lake shore representatives. One might imagine they'd have an understanding of how critical these bodies of water are to our region's economic well being and our way of life.....but we've seen their economic theology is more than willing to sacrifice everything, even our waters and our lakes, to provide more tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires.

Unique Lake Erie Island Dwelling Water Snake Pulled from the Brink of Extinction

Western Lake Erie has an island chain off the coast of Sandusky, Ohio.


View Larger Map

Quite beautiful. Some of the islands, such as Kellly's Island (US) - population 327 - and Pelee Island (Canada) - population 256 - are inhabited. Pelee island is, of course, Canadian and is about 10 miles from the mainland on either side of the lake.

Interesting factoid about Pelee Island. It's the largest island in the chain and you might notice it's laced with farmland. Why? Because it's one of the most ideal climates in Canada for growing grapes. Quite a few of those farms of those are vinyards.

The island chain is also home to a unique subspecies of the non-poisonous Lake Erie Watersnake, Nerodia sipedon insularum, which has recently been brought back from the bring of extinction and is now being taken off the US Endangered Species list due to local and Federal intervention.

The Lake Erie watersnake population had declined to about 1,500 adults by the mid-1990s because of human persecution and habitat loss from shoreline development. Federal and state agencies designated 300 acres of inland habitat and 11 miles of shoreline as breeding and hibernation grounds, while scientists led a public relations blitz to convince people the snake was nothing to fear.

The effort quickly paid off. By 2002, the snake had reached the government's minimum goal of 5,555 snakes. A census in 2009 estimated the population at nearly 12,000.

Ironically, the accidental introduction of the invasive round goby has helped increase the populations of these snakes as a new food source. The goby has also helped bring back the bird the double crested cormorant because of the new food source...in fact, the double crested cormorant has come back so strong because of the goby that the once struggling species is now a nuisance in parts of Lake Erie.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, these Great Lakes are more than just massive puddles. They're unique ecosystems. And they need to be protected for their own sake, for the sake of the critters that live there, for the people who live around them and vacation near them, and for the economic lift they give to the region.

Harmful Lake Erie Algae Bloom Visible from Space

European Space Agency photos reveal the size of a potentially toxic algae bloom in Western Lake Erie. Algae blooms in this region seemed under control for about 20 years until 1995 when they started to occur again in an almost annual basis. These massive algae blooms, from farm and storm water runoff, can be toxic and are harmful to wildlife, the fishing industry, water quality, and they can wash up on shore and rot, crippling tourism.

This is one of the reasons Obama's funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is so critical. Unfortunately, the funding, which was set at around 475 million dollars per year for five years is being cut by the House of Representatives to 300 million dollars this year, and potentially even less the following years.

Apparently they're unaware or don't care what a huge economic driver and strategic asset the Great Lakes are for the US and the Great Lakes region.

A Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom Bulletin issued by NOAA on July 28 said the microcystis concentration has been greater than 1,000 micrograms per liter — 500 times greater than the World Health Organization’s standard of 20 micrograms per liter for recreational water.

The values are often expressed in parts per billion. Micrograms per liter and parts per billion convert to identical concentration measurements.

Not all microcystis contains the deadly toxin microcystin. It is not known how much, if any, of the current bloom has that toxin.

Images can be found here.

The algae, though, wouldn’t be there if not for the region’s ongoing battle with controlling both storm water and agricultural runoff. It is likely to be a topic of discussion when President Obama’s chief adviser on Great Lakes issues, Cameron Davis, visits the University of Toledo’s Lake Erie Center in Oregon tomorrow with U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) and UT President Dr. Lloyd Jacobs, according to an aide for Miss Kaptur.

Mr. Davis is to unveil the latest round of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants, a program that has brought the Great Lakes region a historic amount of new money to combat pollution. Although its anticipated funding of about $300 million is down significantly from its first-year allocation of $475 million, the program is in response to Mr. Obama’s 2008 campaign pledge to infuse the Great Lakes region with at least $5 billion for cleanup during his administration. More than $20 billion worth of needs, mostly sewage spills that helped algae grow, have been identified.