Federal Numeric Nutrient Criteria in Florida When Cooperative….pdfVIP

Pace Environmental Law R eview Volume 30 Article 7 Issue 1 Fall 2012 September 2012 Federal Numeric Nutrient Criteria in Florida: W hen Cooperative Federalism Goes Rogue Ad am Weiss Pace University Sc hool of Law Follow this and additional works at : /pelr Recommended Citation Adam Weiss, Federal Numeric Nutrient Criteria in Florida: When Coop erative Federalism Goes Rog ue, 30 Pace Envtl. L. Rev. 299 (2012) Available at : /pelr/vol30/iss1/7 This Article is brought to you for ree and open access by the School of Law at DigitalCommons@Pace. It has been accepted for inclusion in Pace Environmental Law R eview by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Pace. For more information, please contact cpittson@. COMMENT Federal Numeric Nutrient Criteria in Florida: When Cooperative Federalism Goes Rogue ADAM WEISS I. INTRODUCTION Surface water nutrient pollution is the process by which too many nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus, are added to bodies of water from natural weathering of rocks and soil in the watershed, wastewater treatment facilities, storm water runoff, and farming. When concentrated beyond a certain threshold, nutrients cause deleterious impairments to the environment and threaten public health. The Oxford Dictionary defines the word nutrient as: “a substance that provides nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of life.”1 While organisms need these vital chemicals to grow strong, there can always be too much of a good thing. Much of the globalized world is faced with this paradox every day when they come home from a long day of work too tired to exercise, sit in front of the television, and eat fast food o