[natureguy]

US EPA seems to be into huge problem after being sued by 5 environmental groups.

The Florida Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, the Environmental Confederation of Southwest Florida and the St. Johns Riverkeeper sued EPA as the federal government is voilating the Clean Water Act by not setting standards for Farm & Urban Runoff which is polluting Florida's waterways.

The water runoff from farm and urban areas gets fertilized due to which over the time large blooms of algae comes into existence.

Runoff often gather in some waterbody and hence the aglae starts contanimating the waterbody. When this algae die, its decay suck lot of oxygen from water due to which other living organisms in the water also die. Moreover runoff can also contaminate drinking water supplies and sicken or kill people.

The EPA had noted in 1998 that "nutrient pollution is the leading cause of impairment in lakes and coastal waterways," according to the lawsuit. At the time, the agency also said the nutrients in runoff had been linked to so-called "dead zones" in the Gulf of Mexico and outbreaks of Pfiesteria, a microscopic organism that lives in estuaries and could harm humans and fish.

It may be noted here that Chesapeake Bay, has been suffering for years from toxic algae blooms caused by water pollution and runoff. At times, large swaths of the bay contain so little oxygen that little life remains.

Florida's Department of Environmental Protection is still working to set guidelines, which are complex because the agency hasn't determined exactly how much runoff can continue without harming ecosystems.