Study: Ohio not addressing effect of climate change on water supply

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Ohio is one of 12 states nationally that have taken no steps to prepare for the impact climate change will have on the water supply, according to a study.

The National Resource Defense Council, an environmental action group, conducted the study. It focused specifically on whether state plans were addressing water resources and whether states had an action plan pertaining to climate change.

Ohio does not mention climate change in any of its water-planning documents, said Ben Chou, water-policy analyst for the NRDC.

The state should be planning for increased irrigation for crops and lower water levels on Lake Erie, according to the report.

For more review information about the study, go online to www.nrdc.org/ water/readiness/.