The EPA announced on Thursday, March 4, 2010, that it is extending the comment period for an agency proposal that would create the first federal mandate on nutrient controls (normally left up to states). The comment period on the proposed water quality standards is being extended for 30 days and will now end on April 28.

The agency will also hold three more public hearings in Florida to obtain additional input and comments on the proposed rulemaking. Planning for the additional hearings is underway and the hearings are targeted for mid-April in several cities across the state, the EPA said in a release. The agency held seven public hearing sessions on the proposed standards in Tallahassee, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

In 2009, EPA entered into a consent decree, approved by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, with the Florida Wildlife Federation to propose limits to pollution. The proposed action, released for public comment and based heavily on state data and science developed in collaboration with the state, would set a series of numeric limits on the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen that would be allowed in Florida's lakes, rivers, streams, springs and canals.

The proposed action also introduces and seeks comment on a new adaptive management regulatory process for setting standards in a manner that drives water quality improvements in already impaired waters. The proposed new regulatory provision, called "restoration standards," would be specific to nutrients in the state of Florida.