President Trump signs algal bloom bill to fund research, monitoring, mitigation

A bill that expands federal funding opportunities for communities affected by harmful algal blooms is now law.  

President Donald Trump signed the measure Monday, which the House passed Dec. 20 and the Senate passed Dec. 18. 

The bill authorizes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency to declare a “Harmful Algal Bloom of Significance” when a bloom will have a detrimental impact on a state’s environment, economy, subsistence use or public health.

More: "Call in the cavalry" to combat toxic algae blooms

The declaration authorizes the federal government to make federal funding available to state or local governments to assess and mitigate harmful algal blooms.

The bill also: 

• Directs NOAA to improve its monitoring of harmful algal blooms and hypoxia, which is a reduced level of oxygen in water
• Reauthorizes the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act for five years
• Expands grant eligibility to include proposals for the intervention and mitigation of harmful algal blooms.
   

U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Palm City, U.S. Rep Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, and former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson supported similar measures last year. 

Algae blooms

Toxic blue-green algae blooms are caused primarily by Lake Okeechobee discharges of excess freshwater, polluted predominately by agricultural runoff, which also causes red tide to bloom in nearshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean.

More: All you want to know about blue-green algae, and then some

More: What are Lake Okeechobee discharges?

Recurring blue-green algae blooms in the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers have caused dozens of people to be medically treated for symptoms related to exposure.

Microcystin, a common blue-green algae toxin, can cause nausea and vomiting if ingested and rash or hay fever symptoms if touched or inhaled. Drinking water with the toxins can cause long-term liver disease.

Multiple local businesses have had to close or reduce hours because of the algae, while others have had to require employees who work outdoors to wear protective masks during the blooms.