EPA Comments On Draft Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy

U.S. EPA Region 7 has provided comments on the draft Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy released Nov. 19, 2012. EPA commends the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) for developing the strategy that embraces ambitious specific nutrient reduction targets. Iowa based its draft strategy on EPA’s 2011 memorandum that dealt with how states should achieve long-term reductions in nitrogen and phosphorous pollution in water bodies.

EPA states that supports states leading efforts to reduce nutrient loads from point and nonpoint sources but stresses that EPA is not mandating specific strategies or solutions. The draft strategy raised concerns about EPA’s ecoregional criteria published in 2000. Since then, EPA and some states have identified a range of options that can be appropriately used for development and implementation of numeric nutrient criteria.

In its comments, EPA does offer recommendations to strengthen the policy considerations and point and nonpoint source sections of the document. The Agency makes a number of recommendations to be addressed during implementation of Iowa’s nutrient reduction efforts.

Read a summary of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy

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