Pandemic Costs May Dry Up Ohio’s Plan to Fight Lake Erie Algae

The coronavirus pandemic is endangering a $900 million program that underpins Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s long-term strategy for shrinking the annual massive toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie’s western basin.

The 10-month-old grant program, called H2Ohio, is the state’s primary way to improve quality in so-called impaired waters in Lake Erie near Toledo, where annual algae blooms devastate tourism and endanger water for more than 500,000 people.

H2Ohio fell victim to roughly $775 million in budget cuts that DeWine (R) is imposing in May and June due to plummeting tax revenue during the virus outbreak.

Ohio has halted new grant ...