In light of August's drinking water catastrophe in Toledo, Ohio, Great Lakes mayors gathered this week to call for policy action to protect water resources round the Great Lakes.
A group of Great Lakes mayors and other officials gathered this week in Chicago this week to "talk about ways to protect water resources in light of a recent algae bloom in Lake Erie that wreaked havoc with the drinking water in Toledo, Ohio," reports John Byrne.
According to a release from his press office, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has this to say in reaction to the environmental threats impacting the Great Lakes: "This situation cannot and will not be tolerated as the new normal."
The press release also mentions specific policy actions supported by the mayors at the summit, including:
- "USEPA to establish a common limit and an emergency response protocol for microcystin in drinking water for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region"
- "Great Lakes states to establish a phosphorus open lake water quality standard"
The summit was hosted by the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, founded by former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.
Read the full story: Great Lakes water protection meeting in Chicago
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