Tallahassee-Declaring that clean water standards for phosphorus are not being achieved in all parts of the Everglades and that further reductions of phosphorus pollution are needed in the area south of Lake Okeechobee, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has directed the state of Florida to take specific measures to restore water quality in compliance with a federal court decision to protect these areas. On April 14, Judge Alan Gold of the Southern District of Florida, acting on lawsuits by the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians and the Friends of the Everglades, directed EPA to give clear and comprehensive instructions to Florida right away. Actions spelled out in the determination call for, within the next 60 days, amending existing permits at the court’s directions for discharges to the Everglades by the state and the South Florida Water Management District. In addition, as a longer-term action, instructions were given for conducting environmental assessments, preparing engineering designs, and constructing new marsh treatment areas. EPA has already identified a comprehensive set of actions and milestones needed to meet clean water standards in the Everglades, including a significant expansion of marsh treatment areas that decrease phosphorus levels in the runoff water before it is released to the Everglades. The excess phosphorus being released into the Everglades is reportedly coming from runoff, primarily from farms to the north.
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