Algal blooms on Lake Erie. Who's to blame?

As the algae bloom in Lake Erie continues to grow, so does the debate on who's really to blame.

A report released by Environmental Defence, an environmental and health organization, Wednesday morning suggested a four-point plan to fix the bothersome bloom.

We are seeing increasing intensity, increasing frequency in algal blooms on the Great Lakes obviously what we're doing so far is not enough, said Nancy Goucher, water program manager for the organization.

The plan outlines four key points that will fix the algae issue, including harnessing market forces to help farmers cut down on nutrient runoff, building water smart cities, improving scientific understanding of the blooms and forming a policy framework that pushes for action.

A press release from the organization stated:

The Ontario government should evaluate the applicability of market mechanisms such as tax shifting, pollution taxes and nutrient trading to transfer money from undesirable acts like polluting to desirable ones that reward farmers for 'doing the right thing.'

It's this kind of statement that raises questions from agriculture experts like Ivan O'Halloran, an associate professor at the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus who studies nutrient use and soil fertility.

What they're saying is reasonable, he said. The only concern I have is that when you write it that way they did it sort of implies that farmers are doing the wrong things now and I don't believe that is the case for all farmers.

O'Halloran has been fielding questions about farmers and phosphorous for years.

He's encountered all sorts of explanations and studies and while he admits that farmers play a role in adding phosphorous to Lake Erie he said the issue isn't that simple.

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Algal blooms on Lake Erie. Who's to blame?