Ohio craft brewers opposing an absurd state action to eliminate Ohio River water quality standards

Out of all of the problems in the world today, my great state of Ohio is choosing to fight the good fight against clean water. Clean water, pfft. Who needs it! Remember how cool it was when the Cuyahoga caught on fire?

Ugh. What is even happening anymore?

Anyway, the Ohio Craft Brewers Association (OCBA) feels the same and is spreading the word that this the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission’s (ORSANCO) has proposed action to eliminate water quality standards for the Ohio River, and the organization obviously opposes this.

Ohio breweries — much like people and life on earth — rely on clean, fresh water as a basic ingredient in beer production; cutting the existing standards would threaten the quality and safety of Ohio beer (as well as people). Many small breweries cannot afford expensive investments to treat water on site, which would damage Ohio’s growing craft beer industry, cost the state millions of dollars in economic impact and threaten thousands of jobs.

Earlier this year, ORSANCO proposed a measure that would eliminate 122 standards for pollutants from the Ohio River. An original vote was proposed for Oct. 4, 2018, but the commission voted to delay making a decision until the overwhelming number of public comments and concerns could be addressed.

OCBA represents more than 200 breweries throughout the state: the craft brewing industry employs more than 15,000 Ohioans and has an impact of $2.6 billion on the Ohio economy. OCBA’s Sustainability Committee, formed in 2018, is the trade organization’s outreach arm committed to environmental stewardship at the individual business level and industry-wide. OCBA supports legislative and regulatory action that protects Ohio’s rivers, lakes, and waterways which supply the clean, fresh water essential for a thriving craft beer industry.

OCBA urges the ORSANCO commissioners to reconsider their proposed action, vote to keep these 122 pollution standards in place and support the craft brewing industry in Ohio and other states that rely on water from the Ohio River.