TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The federal government is adopting state water pollution rules for Florida instead of its own version favored by environmental groups that had sued the agency.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson on Friday filed a brief statement in federal court in Tallahassee saying she had taken all actions required by a consent decree EPA entered with the environmental groups.
That triggered claims of victory by the environmentalists, but Friday evening the agency issued a news release saying it had instead adopted the state rules that the environmental groups had criticized as being too weak to stop pollution blamed for algae blooms that are chocking Florida waterways.
The state rules are favored by business, agriculture and utility interests that opposed the federal proposal, claiming it would be too expensive to implement.
