Court Paves Way for EPA to Withdraw Proposed Federal Nutrient Criteria for Florida

Last week, the District Court for the Northern District of Florida ruled on two pending motions on whether numeric water quality criteria should be established for nutrients in the State of Florida (and elsewhere). The court's Order effectively clears the way for the withdrawal of federal numeric nutrient criteria (NNC) and the approval and implementation of state-promulgated NNC instead. This may represent the near-final step in a long-running debate that has considerable implications not only for those doing business or operating facilities in Florida, but for many other parties interested in the subject of nutrient regulation throughout the United States.