News Release: McKnight-funded National Academies study calls for government action to maintain and restore Mississippi River
October 16, 2007 - A new report from the National Research Council of the National Academies examines the need for action from the Environmental Protection Agency to prevent further pollution of the Mississippi River.
Contact information and related linksA McKnight-funded report on the health of the Mississippi River was released today by the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies: Mississippi River Water Quality and the Clean Water Act. The study reveals that the Mississippi River's poor water quality will continue to deteriorate until U.S. farming policy more effectively protects soil and water, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) meets its mandate to enforce existing standards limiting nitrogen and phosphorous pollution. Since 1991, McKnight has contributed more than $70 million in support of work to maintain and restore the Mississippi River basin. "Funding strategic efforts to control or undo damage along the river's length is crucial, but the best solution is prevention," emphasized McKnight president Kate Wolford. "This report highlights the negative impact of past and current agriculture policies on the Mississippi River's water quality. Among our priorities, McKnight will continue support for groups working to ensure that more conservation provisions make it into the next federal Farm Bill." The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed its version of a 2007 Farm Bill; the Senate Agriculture Committee is actively working its own version.More than 50 cities and 18 million Americans depend on the Mississippi and its tributaries for drinking water. For communities along its 2,300-mile course, the river is a vital economic, recreational, and natural resource. In 1998, the EPA called on all bordering states to adopt specific limits on nitrogen and phosphorous pollution entering the river; the EPA further warned the states that it would enact its own limits if the states had not complied by 2001. To date, however, each state along the Mississippi has virtually ignored the mandate and the federal government has not yet stepped in to enforce the law.Because the Mississippi flows primarily between states, federal involvement is critical both to monitor water quality and to enforce pollution limits adopted by the EPA. The NRC's report states plainly that the "the EPA has failed to use its mandatory and discretionary authorities under the Clean Water Act to ensure adequate interstate coordination and federal oversight of state water quality activities along the Mississippi River." The report declares that, "as a result of limited interstate coordination, the Mississippi River is an 'orphan'," in terms of protection and oversight of water quality. A central issue presented is the role that agricultural policies play in either preventing or enabling unnecessary run-off of fertilizers and pesticides: "Numerical federal water quality criteria, and state water quality standards for nutrients, are essential precursors to reducing nutrient inputs to the river and achieving water quality objectives along the Mississippi River and for the northern Gulf of Mexico." "The future of farming in this country depends on good water and soil protection," said Craig Cox, executive director of Iowa's Soil and Water Conservation Society, a McKnight grantee. "Congress is working on a farm bill to help agriculture over the next five years as it becomes increasingly involved in the production of energy crops. It is imperative that the Farm Bill contain far stronger policies and greater incentives that will encourage good water protection and soil conservation practices such as cover crops and more efficient fertilizer and pesticide use."McKnight granted $450,000 to the National Academies to undertake the two-year study and issue a report of its findings.ABOUT THE MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION The McKnight Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life for present and future generations through grantmaking, coalition-building, and encouragement of strategic policy reform. Founded in 1953 and independently endowed by William L. McKnight and Maude L. McKnight, the Minnesota-based Foundation has assets of approximately $2.2 billion and granted about $93 million in 2006. Program information and funding guidelines are available at www.mcknight.org.
Related links
McKnight's environment programContact information
Tim Hanrahan, Communications Director, 612-333-4220
Contact information and related linksA McKnight-funded report on the health of the Mississippi River was released today by the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies: Mississippi River Water Quality and the Clean Water Act. The study reveals that the Mississippi River's poor water quality will continue to deteriorate until U.S. farming policy more effectively protects soil and water, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) meets its mandate to enforce existing standards limiting nitrogen and phosphorous pollution. Since 1991, McKnight has contributed more than $70 million in support of work to maintain and restore the Mississippi River basin. "Funding strategic efforts to control or undo damage along the river's length is crucial, but the best solution is prevention," emphasized McKnight president Kate Wolford. "This report highlights the negative impact of past and current agriculture policies on the Mississippi River's water quality. Among our priorities, McKnight will continue support for groups working to ensure that more conservation provisions make it into the next federal Farm Bill." The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed its version of a 2007 Farm Bill; the Senate Agriculture Committee is actively working its own version.More than 50 cities and 18 million Americans depend on the Mississippi and its tributaries for drinking water. For communities along its 2,300-mile course, the river is a vital economic, recreational, and natural resource. In 1998, the EPA called on all bordering states to adopt specific limits on nitrogen and phosphorous pollution entering the river; the EPA further warned the states that it would enact its own limits if the states had not complied by 2001. To date, however, each state along the Mississippi has virtually ignored the mandate and the federal government has not yet stepped in to enforce the law.Because the Mississippi flows primarily between states, federal involvement is critical both to monitor water quality and to enforce pollution limits adopted by the EPA. The NRC's report states plainly that the "the EPA has failed to use its mandatory and discretionary authorities under the Clean Water Act to ensure adequate interstate coordination and federal oversight of state water quality activities along the Mississippi River." The report declares that, "as a result of limited interstate coordination, the Mississippi River is an 'orphan'," in terms of protection and oversight of water quality. A central issue presented is the role that agricultural policies play in either preventing or enabling unnecessary run-off of fertilizers and pesticides: "Numerical federal water quality criteria, and state water quality standards for nutrients, are essential precursors to reducing nutrient inputs to the river and achieving water quality objectives along the Mississippi River and for the northern Gulf of Mexico." "The future of farming in this country depends on good water and soil protection," said Craig Cox, executive director of Iowa's Soil and Water Conservation Society, a McKnight grantee. "Congress is working on a farm bill to help agriculture over the next five years as it becomes increasingly involved in the production of energy crops. It is imperative that the Farm Bill contain far stronger policies and greater incentives that will encourage good water protection and soil conservation practices such as cover crops and more efficient fertilizer and pesticide use."McKnight granted $450,000 to the National Academies to undertake the two-year study and issue a report of its findings.ABOUT THE MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION The McKnight Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life for present and future generations through grantmaking, coalition-building, and encouragement of strategic policy reform. Founded in 1953 and independently endowed by William L. McKnight and Maude L. McKnight, the Minnesota-based Foundation has assets of approximately $2.2 billion and granted about $93 million in 2006. Program information and funding guidelines are available at www.mcknight.org.
Related links
McKnight's environment programContact information
Tim Hanrahan, Communications Director, 612-333-4220