Senate Passes Priority Bill Improving Water Quality and Sustainability
December 9, 2020
Theresa Gavarone News
COLUMBUS—State Senator Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green) announced today the Senate's unanimous passage of House Bill 7, the companion legislation to Senate Bill 2, which was passed by the Senate earlier this General Assembly.
The bill, co-sponsored by Gavarone, establishes a statewide watershed planning and management program to coordinate and build upon the shared efforts of state and local partners to improve water quality throughout Ohio.
“As the legislator who represents many Ohioans and communities along Lake Erie, I am a proud co-sponsor of this bill and greatly enjoyed working on it with its sponsors Senators Dolan and Peterson," said Gavarone. "Lake Erie is a vital resource, not only for Northern Ohio, but the entire state, which is why it is so important for us to accomplish this priority legislation before the year ends. A huge thank you to the environmental groups and the agriculture community for their collaborative effort to help protect the Lake and improve water in Ohio."
The bill establishes a program that is designed to fit the unique water quality needs throughout the state. Under the direction of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, each region will be assigned a watershed planning and management coordinator that will identify sources and areas of water quality impairment, which includes loading of phosphorous, dissolved reactive phosphorous and nitrogen.
Those groups include the Ohio Environmental Council, the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the Ohio AgriBusiness Association, the National Center for Water Quality Research at Heidelberg University, The Nature Conservancy and various agricultural commodity groups.
The program will help coordinate the many organizations who are working with local watershed professionals on management issues. The legislation allows for soil testing data and nutrient placement best practices to be collected in a centralized database under ODA and used to assist participants across the state.
Additionally, the bill establishes a pilot program administered by the Ohio Department of Agriculture in consultation with the Lake Erie Commission and the Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Commission that assists farmers, agricultural retailers and soil and water conservation districts in reducing phosphorus in distressed watersheds. House Bill 7 will now be sent back to the Ohio House for a vote on concurrence before heading to the Governor for his consideration and signature.
“As the legislator who represents many Ohioans and communities along Lake Erie, I am a proud co-sponsor of this bill and greatly enjoyed working on it with its sponsors Senators Dolan and Peterson," said Gavarone. "Lake Erie is a vital resource, not only for Northern Ohio, but the entire state, which is why it is so important for us to accomplish this priority legislation before the year ends. A huge thank you to the environmental groups and the agriculture community for their collaborative effort to help protect the Lake and improve water in Ohio."
The bill establishes a program that is designed to fit the unique water quality needs throughout the state. Under the direction of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, each region will be assigned a watershed planning and management coordinator that will identify sources and areas of water quality impairment, which includes loading of phosphorous, dissolved reactive phosphorous and nitrogen.
Those groups include the Ohio Environmental Council, the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the Ohio AgriBusiness Association, the National Center for Water Quality Research at Heidelberg University, The Nature Conservancy and various agricultural commodity groups.
The program will help coordinate the many organizations who are working with local watershed professionals on management issues. The legislation allows for soil testing data and nutrient placement best practices to be collected in a centralized database under ODA and used to assist participants across the state.
Additionally, the bill establishes a pilot program administered by the Ohio Department of Agriculture in consultation with the Lake Erie Commission and the Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Commission that assists farmers, agricultural retailers and soil and water conservation districts in reducing phosphorus in distressed watersheds. House Bill 7 will now be sent back to the Ohio House for a vote on concurrence before heading to the Governor for his consideration and signature.