Tallahassee, FL – Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam issued the following statement in response to the U.S. District Court’s ruling in support of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) motion to modify the consent decree regarding numeric nutrient criteria for Florida’s waters.
“Judge Hinkle’s ruling is a testament to Florida’s proven ability to manage its own water resource protection and restoration programs.
“The Florida Department of Environmental Protection employed a science-based approach to develop nutrient criteria for Florida waters that have been fully approved by the U.S. EPA and will have a measurable positive impact on water bodies statewide.
“Judge Hinkle’s ruling opens the door for EPA to fulfill its commitment to the Legislature and withdraw all of its final and pending rules, paving the way for Florida to reassume the lead role in managing this vital natural resource.”