Gov. John Kasich was in Cleveland on Tuesday to sign SB 2, a bill designed to help protect Lake Erie by giving more power to the Ohio EPA.
SB 2 encourages the beneficial use of dredged materials from federal navigation channels such as the Port of Cleveland, a source of much tension between the Army Corps and the state.
Other provisions of SB 2 include:
- Assuring thorough management of privately owned water systems.
- Requiring ongoing asset management improvements by public water systems to address recurrent problems.
- Harmonizes federal and state law, allowing the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director to issue permits for entities discharging into privately owned treatment facilities.
- Strengthens the Ohio EPA's ability to evaluate and enforce the clean up of landfill facilities and properties. The bill also updates state requirements pertaining to construction and demolition debris to ensure safe processing, storage and disposal of materials.
- Continuing the state's pledge of reducing phosphorus run-off by 40 percent, as outlined in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
Senate Bill 2 also updates statutes regarding the responsibilities of the Ohio Lake Erie Commission and protects the quality of the water and ecosystems.
You can watch Gov. Kasich make his remarks from the Great Lakes Science Center and sign SB2 below:
