Governments Protect Lake Erie Drinking Water from Algae

A special session of the Environmental Council was held Thursday, January 23 on the topic of algae and Lake Erie. The program was particularly directed toward elected officials and operators of water intakes and treatment plants.

In the summer of 2013, operators of the water treatment system in Ottawa County’s Carroll Township temporarily shut down because of algae. In Toledo, water treatment plant operators needed a budget increase of $1 million to pay for chemicals required to address algae in the water supply.

Lake Erie is the source of drinking water for hundreds of thousands of residents in Fulton, Lucas, Monroe, Ottawa, and Wood counties. Industry also relies on safe water.  The Environmental Council program described actions that have been taken to protect the public from toxins and offered projections of what will be needed to assure safe water supplies in the future. The program included presentations from operators of the four largest water systems in the western Lake Erie region: the cities of Toledo, Monroe and Oregon, and Ottawa County.

The EPA does not mandate that water treatment plants test for microcystis. The plant operators began to test on their own several years ago when they became concerned about visible algae. The World Health Organization recommends that drinking water contain no more than 1.0 parts per billion and that is the figure that they use as a benchmark. Kelly Frey of the Ottawa County plant noted that microcystis is toxic, more toxic than cyanide. The operators noted that their expertise is water treatment, not health decisions. Frey said that while the plants are managing to contain the toxin now, the effort is “very concerning” and that he and fellow water treatment plant managers are “so fearful” that toxin from the bacteria could prove dangerous to the people who drink water from their facilities. All four of the water treatment experts on the panels said that the control of phosphorus runoff is the first step to reducing algae blooms. Phosphorus reaches the lake through fertilizers used in agriculture, on golf courses, and, it was suggested by one attendee, from large confined animal feeding operations. 

Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments | www.tmacog.org

TMACOG Mentors Transportation Planning

TMACOG works closely with other Councils of Government throughout Ohio and coordinates many transportation efforts with the Southeast Michigan Council of Government (SEMCOG). Now, with a new mentoring program, TMACOG is partnering with the Maumee Valley Planning Organization (MVPO) in western Ohio.

Transportation planning for larger population areas in Ohio is done by Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) like TMACOG. An MPO coordinates plans throughout the region, building a well-integrated, multimodal system that serves residents and industry.  The current federal transportation bill, MAP-21, includes a recommendation to build transportation planning expertise in more rural regions and areas where the population is less concentrated. In Ohio, ODOT has organized a mentorship program that pairs TMACOG with MVPO. Western Ohio’s MVPO includes the counties of Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Paulding and Williams, and the cities of Bryan, Napoleon, and Defiance.

TMACOG Senior Planner Janet Arcuicci is partnered with MVPO Transportation Planner Ellen Barry.  Both TMACOG and MVPO are in the early stages of developing their long range transportation plans.  MVPO has completed a transportation option survey to assist in their initial planning efforts. The needs analysis, which is comprised of current infrastructure conditions, is almost complete. On February 6, TMACOG will meet at the MVPO offices to provide technical assistance regarding Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data collection and analysis. In the coming months, TMACOG and MVPO will continue to work together to improve transportation planning in the wider region. 

New TMACOG Leadership Elected

At the annual General Assembly of TMACOG members held Tuesday, January 29, 2014, TMACOG members endorsed the nomination of officers. Elected for a 12-month term are:

James M. Sass, chair of TMACOG and president of Ottawa County commissioners

Angela J. Kuhn, vice chair of TMACOG and mayor of the Village of Whitehouse

They replace Carol Contrada, outgoing chair of TMACOG and president of Lucas County Commissioners; Nelson Evans, outgoing vice chair of TMACOG and retired Mayor of Perrysburg, and Don Nalley, outgoing second vice chair and former council member, City of Fremont. The position of second vice chair was eliminated in a bylaw change.

TMACOG President Tony Reams, Vice Chair Angela Kuhn, and Chair Jim Sass.

Construction Summary and Forecast

Northwest Ohio saw a very busy road construction year in 2013 and the completion of several large-scale projects in our region. A few of the major projects completed last year include:

·         Phase 1 of the I-75/I-475 systems interchange in downtown Toledo

·         Complete repaving of the busiest part of Secor Rd. in Toledo

·         Complete repaving of Main St. in Bowling Green

·         Construction of the Wales Rd. grade separation in Northwood

·         A new roundabout at Sylvania/Mitchaw in western Lucas County

·         I-475 safety projects on ramps at both Corey Rd. and Talmadge Rd.

The list of projects for 2014 is now taking shape. Some that will have a significant impact on regional travel include:

·         Grade separation at McCord Rd. in Sylvania Township/Holland

·         I-75 widening in Wood County from Devil’s Hole Rd. in Middleton Township south into Hancock County

·         Rehabilitation of I-75 from Central Ave. to Dorr St. in Toledo

·         Ramp reconfiguration at the US 23/I-475 systems interchange in Sylvania Township

·         Re-decking and repair of the Anthony Wayne Bridge. ODOT estimates that the bridge will be closed for 19 months. This link has more details.

Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments | www.tmacog.org

Classifying Roads Affects Funding

Federal agencies sort roads into seven categories and those roads must be reviewed every 10 years. How roads are categorized determines federal appropriations TMACOG receives. The regional review is now underway at TMACOG.

TMACOG is addressing road classification in Lucas and Wood counties and parts of Fulton and Ottawa counties that fall in the Toledo Urbanized Area. TMACOG coordinates this project with the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) which is responsible for classification in Monroe County.

TMACOG Transportation Planner Lisa Householder said that with growth of suburban communities, traffic patterns have changed. She said,

“For example, Waterville has grown from a village to a city since we last reviewed streets. And the realignment of US 24 is completed. There will be classification changes there.”

Upcoming Events - December 2013

Helping Small Communities Meet Their Water and Wastewater System Needs: Presented by Small Communities Environmental Infrastructure Group

Tuesday, December 3, noon-1:30 p.m.

Contact: Joyce Gray, Ohio Rural Community Assistance Program (RCAP), 440.331.6804

TMACOG Leadership Retreat

Wednesday, December 18, 2:30 – 4 p.m. at the Grand Lobby of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza

Contact: Tony Reams, 419.241.9155, ext. 179

Informational Meeting for Clean Ohio Fund Applicants

Wednesday, December 18, 10 a.m., TMACOG Boardroom

Contact: Kurt Erichsen, 419.241.9155 ext. 126

TMACOG General Assembly

Wednesday, January 29, 2014 at the Holiday Inn French Quarter, Perrysburg

Contact: Tony Reams, 419.241.9155, ext. 179

Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments | www.tmacog.org

Looking at Transportation in 2045

Our current long range transportation plan, the 2035 Transportation Plan, emphasized investment in our multimodal system but focused much of our federal spending on updating our expressways. The next plan –  for 2015-2045 – is just getting started. TMACOG is asking, how should we focus the next long range plan?

As the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Lucas and Wood counties in Ohio and southern Monroe County, Michigan, TMACOG solicits input from all users of the transportation system to maintain our region’s plans. Providers of transportation services, freight operators, commuters, cyclists, and pedestrians all have a stake in how we decide how best to move goods and people.

The 2045 plan will be developed over the next two years. Letters have gone out to major stakeholders in the region asking them to provide their input or to participate in work groups. Public meetings and surveys will roll out in February and March, 2014. See our region’s current plan here and look for opportunities to contribute to the new plan coming soon.  

Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments | www.tmacog.org