Florida Water Wins: EPA Sets Pollution Limits
Posted December 3, 2012 08:15 am | Public News Service
A green heron perches on the algae-choked Santa Fe River
in May of this year.
TALLAHASSEE, FL - New pollution standards are being called a giant step forward for Florida water quality and beyond. Late Friday the EPA agreed to immediately propose strict, enforceable limits to reduce the water pollution that causes toxic algae and slime. It did so after a Florida federal judge failed to grant an extension to reach a decision.
Environmental advocates had been pushing for the
strict standards for the past four years, and David
Guest, attorney for Earthjustice in Florida, says the
limits will have an impact nationwide.
"This sets the gold standard for the United States.
These contaminants can and will be limited. Standards
can be set and the problem can be stopped."
The new numeric pollution standards will impact 100,000
miles of Florida waterways and 4000 square miles of
estuaries. Currently, Florida and most other states have
vague standards when it comes to how sewage, manure and
fertilizer runoff is handled.
Guest says the new EPA limits will take effect within a
year and will prompt changes across the state in the
public and private sectors.
"Sewage treatment plants will have to be updated, cities
will have to have better source controls on the
pollutants that get into water, and farmers are going to
have to clean up their act."
The pollutants released by sewage plants, industries and
farmers cause issues such as red tide, which poses a
public health hazard and has been known to prompt the
closing of Florida beaches. Algae concentrations are
becoming a problem in other states as well and Guest
says the new EPA standards will ultimately curb the
problem around the nation.
Photo: Courtesy of Earth Justice, a John Moran photo
