The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized protective standards to help reduce water pollution that causes harmful algae blooms across the state of Florida.
The blooms–thick, green muck that can produce toxins harmful to humans, animals and ecosystems–are caused by phosphorous and nitrogen pollution from excess fertilizer, stormwater and wastewater that flows off land into waterways.
The final standards set specific numeric limits on the amount of nutrient pollution allowed in Florida’s lakes, rivers, streams and springs. "These specific limits will provide much needed predictability and clarity to all involved in protecting water quality compared to the current general standards," EPA said.
Currently, more than 1,900 rivers and streams, 375,000 acres of lakes, and 500 square miles of estuaries are known to be impaired by nutrients in Florida.
The new standards will become effective 15 months from now.
“Clean water is essential to Florida’s environmental and economic health. This rule will allow the people of Florida to take common sense, cost-effective steps to tackle harmful nutrient water pollution,” said Peter Silva, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
"Anyone who has seen the green sludge coating Florida’s waters has experienced the consequences of excess nutrient pollution. This is a serious environmental problem that harms Florida’s economy and quality of life," said EPA’s Regional Administrator Gwen Keyes-Fleming.
During the 15-month period before the numeric standards take effect, EPA will work closely with the state to determine the next steps to achieve the objectives of the standards. The standards do not take a “one-size-fits-all” approach, but reflect conditions in five different watershed regions and allow for case-by-case adjustments based on local environmental factors while maintaining water quality. Governments or other stakeholders can seek special consideration in cases where the state and local communities have extensively assessed water bodies and effective measures are in place to reduce nutrient pollution.
In Florida, nutrient pollution has contributed to severe water quality degradation. Based upon waters assessed and reported in Florida’s 2010 Integrated Water Quality Assessment, approximately 1,918 miles of rivers and streams, 378,435 acres of lakes, and 569 square miles of estuaries are known to be impaired for nutrients in the state.
The Florida Wildlife Federation filed a 2008 lawsuit against EPA, resulting in a finding by the previous Administration in January 2009 under the Clean Water Act that nutrient pollution standards are necessary for Florida. The resulting settlement, reflected in a consent decree entered in August 2009, requires EPA to adopt specific or “numeric” nutrient pollution standards by November 2010. The final rule complies with this consent decree. Under the decree, EPA is required to issue additional standards for Florida’s coastal waters by August 2012 and will soon submit the underlying science for these standards to its independent Science Advisory Board for peer review.
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