Today, Ohio EPA issued a request for technologies for the H2Ohio Technology Assessment Program (TAP) to identify technologies that may help address harmful algal blooms (HABs) in Lake Erie. H2Ohio TAP was created at the Sept. 2020 Ohio Lake Erie Commission meeting to guide the State in addressing HABs in Lake Erie.
H2Ohio TAP is requesting proposals of technologies that are innovative or new to Lake Erie that:
- reduce nutrient loading to rivers, streams, and lakes;
- remove nutrients from rivers, streams, and lakes;
- reduce the intensity or toxicity of algal blooms;
- recover nutrients from manure; and
- improve nutrient removal in wastewater treatment plants.
“Lake Erie is Ohio’s greatest natural resource, and with difficult challenges such as harmful algal blooms threatening our Great Lake, it is important to consistently search for emerging technologies that can supplement Ohio’s comprehensive H2Ohio initiative to improve water quality and address harmful algal blooms,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “The H2Ohio Technology Assessment Program calls on those with innovative technologies to come forward for consideration and join Ohio’s mission to protect our crown jewel, Lake Erie.”
“Over the past few years, Ohio EPA, Ohio Department of Agriculture and Ohio Department of Natural Resources have been approached by innovators of water treatment technologies interested in addressing harmful algal blooms and reducing nutrient loading in Lake Erie,” said Ohio EPA Director Laurie A. Stevenson. “I am excited to launch the H2Ohio Technology Assessment Program, which helps open the door for these innovative technology proposals to be evaluated with the help of third-party experts.”
H2Ohio TAP will complete an initial screening of technology proposals. The top 10 technologies selected by H2Ohio TAP will then be submitted to a third-party technical team with experience in environmental technologies to complete a more in-depth evaluation of efficacy and scalability of the proposed technologies in addressing HABs and nutrients, particularly in Lake Erie. The technical review team, Tetra Tech, was selected through a previous request for proposal process. The RFT can be found online at https://epa.ohio.gov/Portals/33/documents/H2OhioTAP-RFT.pdf.
Additional information about the Technology Assessment Program can be found in the program’s fact sheet.
The Ohio Lake Erie Commission was established for the purpose of preserving Lake Erie’s natural resources, protecting the quality of its waters and ecosystem, and promoting economic development in the region. The director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) serves as the commission’s chairman. Additional members include the directors of the state departments of Transportation, Health, Development Services, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and seven additional members of the public appointed by the governor.
Launched by Governor Mike DeWine in 2019, H2Ohio is a collaborative water quality effort to provide clean and safe water to Ohio. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and Ohio Lake Erie Commission each has a significant role in H2Ohio through the natural infrastructure of wetlands, the reduction in nutrient runoff, and increasing access to clean drinking water and quality sewer systems. To learn more, go to h2.ohio.gov.
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For more information, contact:
Heidi Griesmer
(614) 644-2160