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“In August 2009, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
signed a settlement agreement setting a firm schedule to federally promulgate
numeric nutrient criteria for Florida. Today EPA released those criteria.
“I am pleased that EPA has responded to our request for additional time to
implement numeric nutrient criteria in Florida by setting an effective date 15
months beyond the date of promulgation. This extra time will allow everyone to
reach a better understanding of the criteria and develop implementation
strategies.
“Controlling nutrients is essential to protecting Florida’s inland streams,
rivers and lakes, and our local governments, businesses and agricultural sector
have already invested hard work and financial resources in the effort. The
issues are complicated and discussions with EPA have been intense and involved
but, in the end, constructive. EPA has responded to many DEP and stakeholder
concerns by:
- Using DEP data and analyses in developing the criteria;
- After
extensive back-and-forth with DEP, providing time for Florida to implement
the criteria in conjunction with our stakeholders; and
- Including a
method for establishing alternative criteria to account for the varying
impacts of nutrients on different types of waterbodies under site-specific
circumstances.
“DEP will now analyze and address the remaining legal and scientific issues,
as well as the policy considerations associated with moving forward on
nutrients, to assure that the benefits are worth the costs to Floridians.” |
2012 State of Florida