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WaterNews for April 7, 2000WaterNews is a weekly on-line publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water. Inside this week's WaterNews:
1) Federal Court Issues Landmark Clean Water DecisionA federal judge has upheld EPA's longstanding interpretation and practice that EPA and states have the authority to identify which US waterways are polluted by runoff from urban areas, agriculture, and timber harvesting--or nonpoint sources of pollution--and to develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for these waterways. The March 30 opinion by US District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco affirms the comprehensive scope of the Clean Water Act*s TMDL program. For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/lawsuit.html on the Internet. 2) Total Maximum Daily LoadsAssistant Administrator Chuck Fox recently sent letters to state leaders and to members of Congress highlighting the expected elements of the final TMDL regulation for restoring polluted waters throughout the country. Comprehensive changes to the section 303(d) TMDL regulations were proposed in August 1999. In the letter, EPA outlines the approach that may be taken in the final rule, which is planned to be issued this summer. For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/proprule.html on the Internet. 3) National Academies Report on Nutrient Pollution of Our CoastsOn April 5, 2000, the National Research Council of the National Academies released a report on nutrient pollution of the Nation*s coasts. The NAS report noted that the overabundance of nutrients, especially nitrogen, is causing environmental damage on all of the nation's coasts. The report studies the impacts of the introduction of excess nutrients into coastal systems.
For a copy of the full report, visit http://www.nap.edu/books/0309069483/html/ 4) Eight EPA Regions Propose Storm Water General PermitEight of EPA*s regional offices (Regions 1,2,3,4,6,8,9,10) are proposing to re-issue the multi-sector storm water general permit associated with industrial activity under the Clean Water Act National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). The current general permit, first issued on Sept. 29, l995 and which expires on Sept. 29, 2000, controls storm water discharges where EPA is the permitting authority. The proposed permit will control storm water discharges from 29 sectors of industrial activity to protect water quality in rivers, lakes, wetlands and marine waters. EPA is requesting public comment for 60-days. Copies of the proposed permit and additional information of the storm water program are available at http://www.epa.gov/owm/ on the Internet.
*************************************************************** Please forward this message to your friends and colleagues who share an interest in water-related issues and would like to hear from EPA's Office of Water. To subscribe to the WaterNews listserve: * Send an email message, leave the subject line blank, and address it to: waternews-join@lists.epa.gov * In the body of the message write: Subscribe WaterNews firstname lastname (Please leave one blank space between each word, do not include any other message, and use your actual name- i.e. Subscribe WaterNews Robert Jones) A welcome message will appear in your email box once you are officially subscribed. WaterNews will be sent to you at the end of each week. If you encounter difficulties subscribing to this list server or if you would like to be taken off the WaterNews list server at any time, please send your E-mail address to Gloria Posey at Posey.Gloria@epa.gov.
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