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EPA TO HOLD STAKEHOLDER MEETING TO DISCUSS NUTRIENT CRITERIA

Release Date: 03/13/2000
Contact Information: Wesley Lambert, EPA Media Relations, 404-562-8316

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a stakeholder meeting to discuss the Nutrient Criteria Initiative in Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee). There will be an overview of the national nutrient criteria process, followed by presentations and talks by regional scientists and stakeholders. The meeting is open to all persons who have an interest in the development of nutrient criteria in the Southeast. State water monitoring reports indicate that nutrients are the leading cause of water quality impairments of lakes and coastal waters and the second ranking cause of impairments of rivers and streams. Nutrients are linked to the large hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico and to outbreaks of the toxic microorganism Pfiesteria in several mid-Atlantic States. Although EPA has provided states with useful information about nutrient overenrichment, we have not published water quality criteria documents for nutrients and most states do not have numeric water quality criteria for nutrients. This work is on a very fast track– criteria for some regions are to developed by the year 2000 and should be adopted into state water quality standards by the end of 2003. EPA also recognizes there is a great deal of variation in nutrient levels and nutrient responses throughout the country. This natural variation is due to differences in geology, climate, and waterbody type. For these reasons, EPA will not be able to develop a single National concentration for nutrients. Instead the agency will develop an extensive database that will allow us to describe a range of values for nutrients that reflects the geographic region of the country, the waterbody type and the designated use that the criteria will support. For further information regarding the meeting, interested parties may contact either Jim Harrison at (404) 562-9271 or Ed Decker at (404) 562-9383. WHO: U.S. EPA, Region 4 WHAT: Stakeholder Meeting to discuss information regarding the Nutrient Criteria Initiative in Region 4, the national nutrient criteria process and presentations and talks by regional scientists and stakeholders. WHEN: March 15, 2000 Registration 8:30 a.m.- 9:30 a.m. Meeting Begins at 9:00 a.m. WHERE: U.S. EPA/Atlanta Federal Center- Conference Rooms B&C; 61 Forsyth Street Atlanta, Georgia 30303 (404) 562-9900