The memo below lays the foundation for a partnership among states, EPA and stakeholders to make greater progress in reducing nutrient pollution. The framework provides for: prioritizing watersheds on a statewide basis for nitrogen and phosphorus loading reductions, ensuring effectiveness of point sources permits, integrating innovative approaches into agricultural practices, identifying and using government tools to assure reductions in stormwater and septic systems, verifying that load reductions are in place and the measures implemented are effective, and developing a plan for adoption of numeric nutrient criteria.

• Working in Partnership with States to Address Phosphorus and Nitrogen Pollution through Use of a Framework for State Nutrient Reductions (March 2011 EPA Memo) (PDF)(6 pp, 355 K)