EPA says Vermont fails to comply with Clean Water Act through inadequate regulation of some farms

Associated Press

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says flaws in a Vermont program are preventing the state from adequately controlling phosphorus discharges from certain farms, which contribute to severe water quality problems in Lake Champlain and other bodies of water. The letter says the program fails to comply with the Clean Water Act and directs the state to make significant changes in how it regulates water pollution from concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, which raise animals in confinement. The EPA says the problem is that two state agencies now regulate farm water pollution and directs the Natural Resources Agency to be responsible for CAFO permitting, monitoring, and enforcement.