Republican Gov. Mike DeWine celebrated regulators' decision, saying in a statement that "this is an example of the progress that can be achieved when you collaborate and dedicate resources to improving the quality of water in our state." He continued: "We need to continue to invest in our water resources so that we can see additional improvements."

DeWine, as The Associated Press noted, has backed a state budget that includes nearly $1 billion for water quality projects to clean toxic algae in Lake Erie and protect other Ohio water sources.