Gulf Restoration Network Call to Action

The Gulf Restoration Network just rolled out a new report, taking a hard look at how each of the 5 Gulf States incorporate important sections of the Clean Water Act into their rules for protecting state waters.  The bottom line is each state scored poorly, and has a lot of room for improvement.  Given the overall “C-” that Texas received, there are several areas where the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) needs to “clean up its Act.”  One action that we would like to see is the long-overdue establishment of limits on the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution allowed in Texas waters.  This pollution, flowing from sewage treatment plants, failing septic systems, lawns, and fields can cause harmful algae blooms, deplete the oxygen in Texas waters, create Dead Zones, and cause fish kills.       Years ago, EPA told Texas, along with all of the other states to develop numeric limits on nitrogen and phosphorus, and it is time that they do this to comply with the Clean Water Act.  Learn more at http://action.healthygulf.org/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27834