The Suwannee Democrat
Some For, Some Against Proposed EPA Nutrient Limits
Feds propose nutrient runoff standards Hearings on EPA proposals set for February
January 28, 2010
New federal standards that could
severely impact farmers in Northern Florida and throughout the state may go
into effect soon. The Environmental Protection Agency last week proposed new
standards for "nutrient" pollution in Florida's waterways, after the
state Department of Environmental Protection failed to do the job, according to
a federal court ruling. The EPA is now encouraging "those who are
knowledgeable of Florida waters" to review the proposal and express their
concerns.
The proposed regulations come in
the aftermath of an August settlement with five environmental groups that sued
the EPA for not properly enforcing the federal Clean Water Act in Florida. The
lawsuit was spurred by a 2008 DEP report that approximately 1,000 miles of
rivers and streams, 350,000 acres of lakes and 900 square miles of estuaries
are not meeting the state's water quality standards due to excess nitrogen and
phosphorus, which are nutrients. Nutrient pollution can damage drinking water
and create health risks and increase algal blooms, which can be dangerous to
both humans and animals.
Some state officials have said
this most recent move was to pacify outraged environmentalists. Some have gone
even further, saying the standards are not based on science. At a November town
hall meeting in Branford, Farm Bureau Director of Government and Community
Affairs Staci Braswell called the deadlines for setting the EPA standards
"hasty" and "litigation driven."
However, EPA assistant
administrator Benjamin Grumbles said in a letter to DEP last year that EPA felt
it had to step in if the situation were to be corrected and Florida's waterways
protected.
"Despite Florida's widely
recognized efforts, substantial water quality degradation from nutrient
over-enrichment remains a significant challenge in the state and one that is
likely to worsen with continued population growth and environmental and
land-use changes," wrote Grumbles.
Peter S. Silva, assistant
administrator for EPA's Office of Water, said, "New water quality
standards, developed in collaboration with the state, will help protect and
restore inland waters that are a critical part of Florida's history, culture
and economic prosperity."
The proposed EPA guidelines
establish a numeric "one size fits all" limit for nitrogen and
phosphate. The state had argued at the November town hall meeting that most of
Florida's water bodies were unique and a single set of standards for all
Florida waterways, such as that proposed by the EPA, was not reasonable.
"It is very difficult
to set one standard for the whole state," Suwannee River Water Management
Executive Director David Still said in November. "The standard will not be
achievable if it is not based on science and unique to different districts and
different parts of the state."
After reviewing the proposed
standards, Still said Thursday that SWRMD does not embrace the EPA's stance.
"We do not agree with their
decision Friday or their decision prior to that," said Still.
He said SRWMD remains in favor
of a "narrative" approach, in which standards are tailored to
specific regions.
But despite the state's best
efforts, environmentalists like Annette Long of Save Our Suwannee say DEP was
"foot-dragging."
"I'm sorry it had to come
to this," said Long. "But I'm pleased. The EPA standards appear to be
very close to the same as what DEP was considering. This should help DEP move
forward."
Leslie Kurtz, co-owner of Kurtz
Dairy Farm in Live Oak, said she does not think the new regulations will hurt
her farm.
"We are in tune to working
with nature," said Kurtz. The Kurtzes gather the farm's manure in a lagoon
and recycle it as fertilizer. In addition, they grass-feed their dairy cows.
"I think if more farmers work with nature, they will make less
problems."
However, the problem of nutrient
pollution has not been helped by the dairy crisis, Kurtz noted. Due to low milk
prices, Kurtz said farmers are being forced to add more cows so as to increase
their profits, further increasing pollution.
When first asked, Kurtz said she
was "in the dark" about the new EPA proposed regulation. Many local
farmers echoed her saying they were not aware the EPA standards had been
released.
Florida Farm Bureau Assistant
Director of Government Affairs Charles Shinn said that is where his agency
comes into play.
"We're trying to get the word out," said Shinn. "We are quite concerned. We think these standards could have a tremendous impact on the ability of Florida agriculture to produce crops."
Shinn says the EPA's "one
size fits all" approach will put Florida farmers at a disadvantage
compared to other states.
"The potential negative
impact this will have is off the scale," he said.
As of Tuesday, FDEP would not
comment other than in a prepared statement.
"We continue to review the
draft rule that EPA just released," said FDEP spokeswoman Dee Ann Miller
said. "As we review it, we encourage Florida scientists and water quality
managers to also engage in assessing and commenting on the proposed criteria.
It is critical that those who are knowledgeable of Florida waters share
information on the state's unique ecosystems with EPA scientists to best inform
their decisions in the future."
The EPA will hold hearings on
Feb. 16, 17 and 18 in Tallahassee, Orlando, and West Palm Beach, respectively.