Epa Agrees To Acidification Review

摘要

In response to a petition and threatened litigation by the Center for Biological Diversity, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has agreed to review how ocean acidification should be addressed under the federal Clean Water Act. Ocean acidification results from the ocean's absorption of excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which increases the acidity of the ocean and changes the chemistry of seawater. The main known consequence is that it affects the ability of marine animals to build and maintain their protective shells and skeletons. The Center sought to compel EPA to impose stricter pH standards for ocean water quality and publish guidance to help states protect US waters from ocean acidification. The pH water-quality criterion is relevant to preventing ocean acidification because it is the measure of seawater acidity against which many states gauge the need to impose regulations on pollution, the Center notes.