COLUMBUS – Following Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins’ decision this morning to lift the drinking water advisory which the city originally issued early Saturday morning, Gov. John R. Kasich and Ohio EPA Director Craig W. Butler stated support for the decision. Ohio EPA officials worked with city officials this morning to analyze the results of tests the city ran overnight and agreed with the city’s conclusion that Toledo’s water is safe to drink.
Governor Kasich said “The people of Toledo came together unselfishly to support one another over the past two days and are great examples of the Ohio spirit. My compliments also go to Mayor Collins and his team. They served their city well and we will continue to work with them closely and support them going forward. My hat is also off to all who worked around the clock to distribute water and other essentials. They made a big difference. Over the past two days we’ve been reminded of the importance of our crown jewel—Lake Erie—to our everyday lives. We must remain vigilant in our ongoing efforts to protect it.”
Ohio EPA Director Craig Butler said, “After exhaustive testing, analysis and discussions between Toledo water officials, the U.S. EPA and the Ohio EPA, we support the city’s decision to lift its drinking water advisory. Throughout the difficulty of the past few days everyone involved has demonstrated the utmost professionalism and commitment to solving this problem. The mayor and his team, U.S. EPA and the other scientific and academic leaders who lent us their expertise worked in a constructive way to turn the water back on for the people of Toledo. In the days ahead, we will continue to work closely with Toledo and others to better understand what happened and support their effort to supply safe drinking water to its customers.”
