Gov. DeWine unveils $900 Million Investment Plan in Lake Erie

Gov. Mike DeWine will ask legislators to set aside $900 million to fund long-term investments in the health of Ohio’s waterways and Lake Erie, which perennially battles toxic algal blooms that five years ago poisoned the city’s water supply.

The governor teased new details of his previously announced H2Ohio fund at a conference Thursday in Toledo, where voters just approved a bill of rights for Lake Erie that would allow residents to file lawsuits on behalf of the lake to protect it from polluters.

“The western Lake Erie basin, as you all know, has been hit particularly hard by algae blooms for a number of years,” Mr. DeWine said. “In 2014, many Toledo residents could not use water from their tap. Because of the annual bloom, charter boat captains must travel farther and farther out into the lake because the lake water is so thick and green.”