Lawsuit seeks action on Lake Erie algae cleanup

TOLEDO >> Environmental groups have filed a federal lawsuit pushing for more action to prevent the toxic algae blooms that plague Lake Erie’s western basin each summer.

The lawsuit says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency isn’t moving fast enough and must hold Ohio accountable for reducing the polluting runoff that feeds the algae.

The Environmental Law & Policy Center’s lawsuit filed late Thursday in Toledo claims Ohio’s efforts to prevent blooms have had little impact.

An Ohio EPA spokeswoman says the agency is reviewing the lawsuit. She says the agency intends to roll out new initiatives to help the lake.

The lawsuit seeks a court order that sets a series of deadlines between now and 2025 for progress on lake protections.