Lake Erie. When it is clean, it is a joy. There is plenty of recreation available and parks on the lakefront. Furthermore, we are trying (still) to commit to a new and exciting lakefront development. Unfortunately, when we get a good rain like we have had recently, you have to worry about how much raw sewage is overflowing into our beautiful lake. When the city is cash strapped, who is out watching the lake to watch for illegal dumping? What about our aging Port Authority complex that has NO system for dealing with rainwater runoff? Everytime it rains, the majority of the oil stained, dirty asphalt of the city’s port area is washed clean…and into the lake.
The Great Lakes
President Obama has a budget for 2010. In it he has allocated nearly $500 million for the first stages of cleanup of the Great Lakes Region. What can we expect from this amount of cash? We have a lot to do to fix our collection of lakes. To get the party started, the US EPA is holding a series of meetings around the region. In Cleveland, you should plan on attending the meeting in Cleveland Heights. The meeting is July 27, 2009, 6-8pm at the Canal Way Center, State Boat Landing Room 4524 E 49th St Cuyahoga Heights, OH 44125-1008. Please join me and make your voice heard. We can talk about lakefront development for another 10 years, but we need to deal with the issues of the lake right now! If you want more info about this meeting, or one closer to you (if you live outside Ohio) then check out their website.
Among the other issues that we are facing in cleaning up our lake, are the invasive species that are damaging the ecosystem. Fish are brought in by ships from other waters in their bilge tanks. Once in the lakes, they thrive without their natural predators and push out native animal and fish species. Don’t forget that we have also destroyed much of the local habitat through industry over the years, and allowed manufacturing to pour tons of chemicals into our water streams that are still lingering about. I do worry about what will happen, as the lake is an important source of wildlife, nature, and drinking water. We need to take care of it, now that we have mucked it up. I am all for developing the waterfront. It could be a great economic draw to the region. The issue that concerns me is that the port Authority is currently not managing its storm water runoff, so what is the plan for managing debris, and pollution during their proposed move and the development of the property that is currently their home? Once again, I fear that our lackluster attitude, and our inability to demand that things be handled properly on our local level will be our downfall. Maybe with the help of the EPA, we can start some new enforcement and new momentum toward a cleaner, safer and bluer lake.
Won’t you join me and have your voice heard?
Tags: Cleveland, environment, Green Policies, industry, water
