Gulf Restoration Network

United for a Healthy Gulf

Tell Louisiana and EPA to admit the Dead Zone is polluted!

The Clean Water Act requires Louisiana to officially list all polluted waters in the state every two years. Despite the fact that a Dead Zone forms in the Gulf every summer, Louisiana has not listed the Mississippi River or most of the Gulf coastal waters as polluted.

Please take a moment to send a letter to EPA and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and tell them to make sure that Louisiana lists the Mississippi River and the Coastal Waters of Louisiana as polluted with too much nitrogen and phosphorus, which causes low oxygen in the Dead Zone.

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September 03, 2010

Subject:
Comments on Louisiana's Impaired Waters List

Dear LDEQ and EPA

As you are aware, a Dead Zone forms in the Gulf of Mexico each year off the mouth of the Mississippi River.  This Dead Zone is an area of extremely low dissolved oxygen, caused by too much nutrient pollution flowing down the Mississippi River.  Despite this fact, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has not listed the Mississippi River or most of the nearshore waters for this pollution.

According to section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, states are required to develop lists of impaired waters.  The Clean Water Act also requires the states to develop pollution limits and clean up plans for these waters.   These waters are obviously polluted, as a growing Dead Zone has been documented for over 20 years.  Because of the extremely low oxygen in Louisiana’s coastal waters, Louisiana should list all of its nearshore waters (coastal waters to the 3-mile limit) west of the Mississippi River and both segments of the Mississippi River for nitrate/nitrite, phosphorus, and dissolved oxygen.

Thank you for accepting these comments.

Sincerely,

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