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Basic Information
What is the Problem? | What is EPA's National Nutrient Policy? | What are EPA and the States Doing? | Glossary
What are EPA and the States Doing?
We are doing many things attempting to combat the nitrogen and phosphorus pollution problems in our country, including
- working with states to identify waters with nutrient pollution and developing Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) to restore the waters;
- awarding grants to states for operating nonpoint source management programs, which in turn help reduce nitrogen and phosphorus pollution;
- administering a permit program that restricts the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus released to the environment from point sources; and
- providing funding for the construction of municipal wastewater facilities and implementation of nonpoint source pollution control and estuary protection projects.
- assisting other federal agencies addressing the problems in the Mississippi River Basin
With respect to the comprehensive framework for nutrient water quality standards, we are helping states, territories and authorized tribes establish water quality standards to help protect the nation's water bodies from nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. Our goal is to assist in the adoption of numeric nitrogen and phosphorus criteria, which will help states, territories, and tribes move toward establishing water quality standards for nitrogen and phosphorus. We have produced guidance documents for different kinds of water bodies, such as lakes and reservoirs, rivers and streams and wetlands.
As a result of this work states have made progress in developing numeric criteria. We have developed several tools including N-STEPS, a database that provides technical assistance to state and regional scientists and managers who are developing numeric nutrient criteria, and provides information regarding nutrient pollution and EPA's activities to the public. Other nutrients databases have been developed by EPA containing sample data from various waters throughout the U.S.