Toxic Algae Bill Gets Bipartisan Approval

The U.S. House of Representatives last week passed a bill (H.R. 212) that would require EPA to develop a strategic plan for assessing and managing algae-produced toxins in drinking water sources. The bill comes in response to a toxic bloom of blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, in Lake Erie last summer that disrupted the drinking water supply of some 500,000 Ohio residents. Blue-green algae produce microcystins, a class of toxins that are harmful to the livers of humans and wildlife. The legislation, which has bipartisan support, would require EPA to provide Congress with an evaluation of toxic algae risks to human health, a comprehensive list of toxins produced by cyanobacteria, and recommendations for drinking water treatment. The measure moves now to the Senate where a similar bill that would have required EPA to issue a toxic algae health advisory was approved last year.