Overuse of nitrogen by US farms leads to nitrogen runoff into the Mississippi River. That water travels to the Gulf of Mexico where it indirectly creates a hypoxic zone in which fish cannot live. It's the size of New Jersey!
oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/deadzone…
oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/deadzone…
This costs the US about $82m/year but also forces fishing boats to travel further which increases CO2 output from fisheries.
nature.org/ourinitiatives…
nature.org/ourinitiatives…
If nitrogen runoff into the Gulf of Mexico dropped to zero today, it would take decades for the region to recover.
science.sciencemag.org/content/early/…
science.sciencemag.org/content/early/…
Prior to the change in EPA leadership, the EPA worked to reduce farm runoff.
epa.gov/nutrient-polic…
epa.gov/nutrient-polic…
These days, though, EPA leadership views regulation of the Waters of the US as "overreach" and aims to undermine past administrations' efforts to protect the environment.
nytimes.com/2018/01/31/cli…
nytimes.com/2018/01/31/cli…
Some state AGs are suing the EPA over the "delay" in the "clean water rule" implementation.
[Hint: It's really only a delay until the EPA leadership rescinds the rule].
ag.ny.gov/press-release/…
[Hint: It's really only a delay until the EPA leadership rescinds the rule].
ag.ny.gov/press-release/…
And the EPA administration's retort to the suit over the delay was to attempt to delay the suit until after the EPA rescinded the Clean Water Rule, effectively mooting the suit.
thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_new…
thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_new…
As a backup plan, the EPA is asking for a change of venue to Texas because considering a change of venue takes time and that's an additional delay.
insideepa.com/daily-feed/adm…
insideepa.com/daily-feed/adm…
