Threats to Local Waters
Serious threats continue to plague the interconnected streams, rivers, lakes and wetlands of the Ohio River region including:
- Toxic pollution like PCBs, mercury and PFAS poses serious health risks to people and wildlife.
- Sewage contamination sickens people, contributes to algal bloom, harms aquatic life, curtails water recreation, and contaminates drinking water supplies.
- Habitat destruction threatens fish and wildlife populations, impacts outdoor recreation opportunities, and exacerbates flooding.
- Runoff pollution fuels toxic algal blooms, which can sicken people and kill fish and wildlife.
- Invasive species harm native species and alter the food web.
- Flooding damages homes, business, and infrastructure and can lead to the loss of life.
Environmental problems are chronic and widespread throughout the Ohio River region:
- Nearly 69% of assessed stream miles and 64% of assessed lake acres in the region do not meet state water quality standards – they suffer from pollutants including mercury, PCBs, bacteria, and nutrients.
- Nearly every state in the region has issued advisories restricting fish consumption on streams, rivers, or lakes due to contaminants such as mercury, PCBs, certain pesticides, dioxins, and PFAS.
- There are at least 146 toxic waste dumps – so-called Superfund sites – in the Ohio River Basin – some are already contaminating water supplies and all of them threaten to.
We need to address these problems now, before the problems get worse and more costly to solve.
The Healthy Waters Coalition supports manageable solutions to restore local waters, protect public health, improve recreational opportunities, and support local economies.