© 2024 WOSU Public Media
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Lake Erie Bill Of Rights

Algae blooms on the coast of Toledo.
NASA Glenn Research Center
Algae blooms on the coast of Toledo.

In this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss the upcoming ballot measure that would give Toledo citizens the ability to sue on behalf of the Lake Erie ecosystem.

Crystal Jankowski, an organizer with Toledoans for Safe Water, joins the show. 

Listen to Snollygoster on theWOSU Public Media mobile app, on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And make sure to leave a rating and review!

In this week's episode:
Water Rights

In 2014, a toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie left Toledo residents without clean drinking water for three days. Fertilizer runoff from farms is seen as a major cause of the problem, but lawmakers have been slow to take action.

Later this month, Toledoans will vote on a proposed "Lake Erie Bill of Rights." The city charter amendment would give Toledo residents guardianship over the lake and allow them to file lawsuits to fight against pollution and other threats to the ecosystem.

Snollygoster Of The Week

Ohio state Sen. Joe Uecker blocked a constituent from posting on his public Facebook page. That move will cost him $20,000 in a court settlement that ruled the block was a violation of free speech rights.

To send us comments or to nominate your candidate for Snollygoster of the Week, email us at snollygoster@wosu.org.

Mike Thompson spends much of his time correcting people who mispronounce the name of his hometown – Worcester, Massachusetts. Mike studied broadcast journalism at Syracuse University when he was not running in circles – as a distance runner on the SU track team.
Related Content