EPA, NOAA Rejection Of Oregon Coastal Plan Sets Stage For Other States

摘要

EPA and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) recent rejection of Oregon's plan to control coastal nonpoint source pollution sets an important precedent that increases the chances the agencies will soon make decisions about 10 other states' coastal programs that have been operating under conditional approvals for more than a decade, according to an informed environmentalist. The agencies' Jan. 30 finalization of their finding that Oregon's coastal nonpoint pollution control program (CNPCP) is not fully approvable "has put the federal agencies themselves under pressure to get these other states wrapped up," the source says. "It does set a precedent that perhaps the federal agencies actually mean what they say and are willing to stand by their repeated findings. I know that sounds obvious but, trust me, it's not." A NOAA spokeswoman says that although the agencies have been working with the 10 states with programs that are operating under conditional approvals, NOAA has been giving a great deal of focus to Oregon's program and does not expect to issue any final approvals for other states before the next round of funding is appropriated this summer.