COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The huge algal bloom in Lake Erie is receding, but clean water advocates say the annual problem won't go away without changes in federal policies.

One measure raising concerns is the ethanol mandate, which requires a certain amount of corn-based ethanol to be blended into gasoline. According to David DeGennaro, agricultural policy specialist with the National Wildlife Federation, it has led to an increase in corn production, which in turn increases water pollution as farm nutrients, chemicals and soils run downstream and end up in Lake Erie.

"It's taken awhile for people to really realize what's going on and just what the stakes have been,” DeGennaro said. "It’s not just this policy alone that's contributing to all of these changes on the landscape and in water quality. But certainly this is one factor, and it's one that is government-driven through this mandate."

DeGennaro said farm runoff is the primary cause of toxic algae in Lake Erie, and noted excess fertilizer and manure are also to blame for dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico and other water bodies across the country.

It was just three years ago that a toxic algal bloom poisoned Toledo's drinking water supply.

Lake Erie Waterkeeper Executive Director Sandy Bihn said algal blooms are also harmful to the local economy. She said the sources need to be stopped to prevent further damage.

"If we can solve the problem in Lake Erie, we can prevent it from happening in the other Great Lakes,” Bihn said. "If the toxics and the runoff get in the system of those lakes, those lakes do not flush quickly, as Lake Erie does, and those problems will be far more long term and could potentially threaten the very viability of all the Great Lakes."

After initially saying the agency was considering lowering the mandate level, Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt reversed his position last week, announcing it would be kept in place and that he would consider allowing an increase of ethanol blended into the gas supply.

But DeGennaro said he's hopeful Congress will act on its own.

"There's interest with policy makers on Capitol Hill to change the policy,” he said. “And so we're expecting to see some action this fall in the House Committee of jurisdiction and then also a bill introduced in the Senate."

The ethanol mandate was passed in 2005 as a way to cut energy imports, reduce pollution and lower fuel costs. Its opponents say the policy could be reformed to advance clean fuels and protect public health, without polluting water or destroying habitat.


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Clean drinking water doesn't just come from replacing lead pipes. Solutions also rest on Minnesota's farm fields, and this time of year, some rural acreage has been planted with seeds designed to do winter magic before the next growing season.

Cover crops are typically planted going into in a farmer's offseason and are meant to improve soil health before a main crop, like corn, is prioritized the following spring and summer.

Peter LaFontaine, agricultural policy manager with Friends of the Mississippi River, said newer varieties of winter cover crops have come on the scene, potentially changing the dynamics when it comes to profits. On the sustainability side, protecting waterways is still a benefit.

"If you have crops that are providing some more of that natural cover during winter, you wind up with a more resilient system. These crops do a phenomenal job of addressing things like nitrogen loss," he said.

Traditional plants like cereal rye have been helpful with those water quality efforts. But products like winter camelina are getting more attention these days because they have a bigger potential as a dual benefit. They can be harvested for the sustainable jet fuel market. Overall, the cover crop movement still faces headwinds, with an adoption rate below 3% for Minnesota's farmland.

Agriculture experts say Minnesota's harsh winters can be disruptive to cover crops, and it can take time for a producer to fully realize the economic benefits of improved soil quality, such as less flooding in fields.

Anne Schwagerl, western Minnesota farmer and vice president of the Minnesota Farmers Union, has long planted these seeds and is now experimenting with the "cash cover crops." She predicts they'll help with the momentum issue.

"The old adage in farming is don't plant something you don't have a market for. Well, this is something we actually got a market for," she explained.

Schwagerl noted that the biofuels market has a strong appetite for winter camelina. There are federal conservation programs that provide incentives for using cover crops. It's unclear how much extra support will be provided as Congress debates the next Farm Bill.

Despite Minnesota's low adoption rate, more farms were trying cover crops in 2022 compared to 2017. That's according to the Census of Agriculture, released every five years.

Minnesota is credited for having strong wetland protections. But the research community warns the growing presence of factory farms in the Midwest makes it harder to shield these natural resources.

A new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists says 30 million acres of wetlands in the Upper Midwest are at risk of destruction by industrial agriculture and other heavy industries.

The authors said the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to strip some federal protections from wetlands accelerates the potential loss.

The Research Director for the Union's Food & Environment program Stacy Woods said because of the role wetlands play in flood mitigation, states in this region are likely to have a harder time limiting damage from a major rain event.

"We know that flooding is a significant issue," said Woods. "It's expensive, and it's getting worse as the climate warms."

While Minnesota's laws might help offset some of the federal impact, the report says neighboring states like South Dakota and Iowa are more vulnerable to wetland loss.

It says priorities of the incoming Trump administration could further complicate protections - but if lawmakers can agree, there could be opportunities in the Farm Bill debate to bolster existing conservation programs.

Wetlands can capture and slow flood waters that threaten homes, but Woods pointed out they do so much more.

"They're often called nature's kidneys, because they provide such a service in cleaning our waterways," said Woods. "But when we dump so much pesticide and fertilizer, and other pollutants onto our fields, that can run off into these wetlands and really impact the wetlands' ability to clean our water."

Meanwhile, researchers say one acre of wetlands provides $745 of flood mitigation benefits to residential homes.

Without wetlands, they say homeowners and taxpayers absorb those costs through the National Flood Insurance Program.




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The most current study from the Environmental Protection Agency estimated more than 143 million Americans are at risk of drinking water tainted with PFAS chemicals, including in Texas.

Water utility companies across the country tested their drinking water for 29 different PFAS compounds. They are known as "forever chemicals," because they do not break down easily in the environment or the body.

Neil Carman, clean air program director of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, said the man-made chemicals are found in everyday products.

"Nonstick pans like Teflon, also stain-resistant fabrics, like Gore-Tex and waterproof clothing," Carman outlined. "The biggest source is probably from the firefighting foam."

He pointed out when firefighters use the foam to extinguish a fire, it is left on the ground and seeps into nearby water sources.

Some supporters of President-elect Donald Trump have said they want to revoke or weaken water standards for six PFAS chemicals. According to the Environmental Working Group, it would leave nearly 46 million Americans with no protections.

The EPA said its data is not yet complete but it has already identified PFAS contamination at almost 8,900 sites nationwide, including more than 100 in Texas. Carman noted the chemicals have been linked to multiple health problems.

"They could cause cancer, they disrupt the immune system, they could interfere with pregnancies, they can cause all kinds of health effects," Carman explained. "We're still learning about them but they're not good."

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is the state agency charged with PFAS enforcement. Carman added a home water filtration system is one option for curbing some toxic chemicals.