Gulf of Mexico and Gulf of Mexico and Environmental ProtectionEnvironmental Protection

By: Amanda Hassid and Tiffany By: Amanda Hassid and Tiffany PouldarPouldar

AP Government, Period 2AP Government, Period 2December 3, 2007December 3, 2007

What’s going on?What’s going on? Dead Zone:Dead Zone:

A barren portion in the Gulf of Mexico where A barren portion in the Gulf of Mexico where no sea life existsno sea life exists

Currently the size of New Jersey and is Currently the size of New Jersey and is expandingexpanding

KEY:

-RED: harmful algal blooms

-YELLOW: other bloom areas

What’s causing this?What’s causing this?

• Hypoxia– Excess nitrogen from fertilizer (mostly from

Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and southern Minnesota) runs into the Mississippi River

– Eventually carried into the gulf of Mexico– Causes immense algae growth– When the algae die, they absorb oxygen,

leaving a short supply, killing sea life

Sources of Pollution in Gulf of MexicoSources of Pollution in Gulf of Mexico

Who does it affect?Who does it affect?

• Southern Fishermen (commercial fishing closures)

• Sea Life– Causes fish kills, shellfish toxicity, and water

discoloration

• Respiratory distress in humans• Recreation and tourism losses • Economic impact of algae blooms in US

estimated to average $75 million annually

Possible Solutions Possible Solutions Discussed in 1999Discussed in 1999 Reducing nitrogen based fertilizerReducing nitrogen based fertilizer Returning 5 million acres of Returning 5 million acres of

farmland to wetlandsfarmland to wetlands Agricultural operations improve Agricultural operations improve

manure-control operations (another manure-control operations (another nitrogen source)nitrogen source)

Corn farmers require to plant prairie Corn farmers require to plant prairie buffer strips between fields and buffer strips between fields and streamsstreams

Northern/Midwestern FarmersNorthern/Midwestern Farmers Worried that fertilizer limits could wipe them out Worried that fertilizer limits could wipe them out

and destroy rural communities where crops are and destroy rural communities where crops are already not prospering already not prospering

Are still recovering from agricultural crisis in the Are still recovering from agricultural crisis in the 80s80s

Another setback will hurt themAnother setback will hurt them

Southern FishermanSouthern Fisherman Less fish for them to Less fish for them to catch meaning less catch meaning less

revenue and revenue and declining businessdeclining business

Conflict: Northern/Midwestern Conflict: Northern/Midwestern farmers VS. Southern fishermenfarmers VS. Southern fishermen

Gulf of Mexico Dilemma similar to New England Gulf of Mexico Dilemma similar to New England states encounter with acid rainstates encounter with acid rain

Environmental effect of acid Environmental effect of acid rain: loss of fish in acid rain: loss of fish in acid sensitive lakes and streams sensitive lakes and streams

New England states experience New England states experience acid rain due to burning of fossil acid rain due to burning of fossil fuels in Midwest and other fuels in Midwest and other statesstates

What was done in 2005? What was done in 2005? Federal Gov. took control as the Federal Gov. took control as the EPA issued the Clean Air EPA issued the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) which Interstate Rule (CAIR) which aimed to permanently cap aimed to permanently cap emissions of SO2 and NOx in emissions of SO2 and NOx in the eastern US. the eastern US.

How Illinois Responds to Hypoxia How Illinois Responds to Hypoxia ReportsReports

““The reports do not present a clear cause-The reports do not present a clear cause-effect relationship between fertilizer use effect relationship between fertilizer use and hypoxia in the Gulf, and includes and hypoxia in the Gulf, and includes many invalid assumptions and erroneous many invalid assumptions and erroneous conclusions.” conclusions.”

––Governor George H. RyanGovernor George H. Ryan

Midwestern states alike feel that it is not Midwestern states alike feel that it is not proven that nitrogen is what is causing the proven that nitrogen is what is causing the dead zone, which is why a restriction on dead zone, which is why a restriction on fertilizer should not be madefertilizer should not be made

States trying to work with Federal States trying to work with Federal GovernmentGovernment

Cooperative FederalismCooperative Federalism- Local, State, and the Federal Governments Local, State, and the Federal Governments

are coming together to solve this issue of are coming together to solve this issue of environmental protection, instead of making environmental protection, instead of making separate policiesseparate policies

Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task ForceNutrient Task Force- comprised of federal, state, and tribal repscomprised of federal, state, and tribal reps- composed of 9 states along the Mississippi composed of 9 states along the Mississippi

RiverRiver- Wants to reduce the size of the hypoxic area Wants to reduce the size of the hypoxic area

to less than 5,000 square kilometers by 2015to less than 5,000 square kilometers by 2015

State and Federal Agencies State and Federal Agencies Represented in Task ForceRepresented in Task Force

Federal Agencies Represented on the Task Force:Federal Agencies Represented on the Task Force: Council on Environmental Quality Council on Environmental Quality

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Department of AgricultureU.S. Department of AgricultureU.S. Environmental Protection AgencyU.S. Environmental Protection AgencyU.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of the Interior White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Council on White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Council on Environmental Quality Environmental Quality

State Agencies Represented on the Task Force:State Agencies Represented on the Task Force: Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission

Illinois Department of Agriculture Illinois Department of Agriculture Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land StewardshipIowa Department of Agriculture and Land StewardshipLouisiana Department of Environmental Quality Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Missouri Natural Resources Department Missouri Natural Resources Department Ohio Department of Natural Resources Ohio Department of Natural Resources Tennessee Department of Agriculture Tennessee Department of Agriculture Wisconsin Natural Resources DepartmentWisconsin Natural Resources Department

What the Task Force is What the Task Force is doing?doing?

NOOANOOA (National Centers for Coastal (National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science):Ocean Science): operates the system operates the system geared to predict harmful algal bloomsgeared to predict harmful algal blooms

CWA (Clean Water Act): CWA (Clean Water Act): renovate and renovate and preserve the chemical, physical, and preserve the chemical, physical, and biological state of the Nation’s watersbiological state of the Nation’s waters

-For example, before dumping anything into waters, a permit must be authorized, which is the Act’s principal enforcement tool.

Has the problem been solved despite these attempts? What the Task Force is doing is not very

effective because the Dead Zone is only increasing

in 1999 it was the size of New Jersey, now it is the size of Massachusetts

annually enlarging dead zone becoming an even bigger threat to the fishing industry and to public health

How do we think the issue of hypoxia in the How do we think the issue of hypoxia in the Gulf Coast can be solved? The Federal Gulf Coast can be solved? The Federal Government should get more involved!Government should get more involved!

Congress should intervene and should amend the Clean Congress should intervene and should amend the Clean Water Act; it should adjust the jurisdictional lines and Water Act; it should adjust the jurisdictional lines and clarify the lawclarify the law

Congress should do this by demanding more aggressive Congress should do this by demanding more aggressive action to restore these waters in light of the risk of action to restore these waters in light of the risk of ecosystem collapseecosystem collapse- For example, Congress should clearly delegate to the For example, Congress should clearly delegate to the

EPA the duty to set water quality standards for ALL EPA the duty to set water quality standards for ALL federal watersfederal waters

Due to implied powers and the elastic clause, Congress Due to implied powers and the elastic clause, Congress has the right to help regulate environmental issues even has the right to help regulate environmental issues even furtherfurther

Not enough evidence proves that nitrogen is the main Not enough evidence proves that nitrogen is the main cause of the algae bloom; more research should be cause of the algae bloom; more research should be done to uncover another sourcedone to uncover another source

-Research and monitoring of Gulf hypoxia -Research and monitoring of Gulf hypoxia should be more adequately funded should be more adequately funded

How can the issue of hypoxia in the Gulf Coast How can the issue of hypoxia in the Gulf Coast finally be solved? The Federal Government finally be solved? The Federal Government

should get more involved! (CONT.)should get more involved! (CONT.)

The End