On April 5, the EPA released a new policy memorandum titled “Accelerating Nutrient Pollution Reductions in the Nation’s Waters.“ The memorandum details EPA’s intent to work with federal agencies, state co-regulators, tribes, water stakeholders, and the agricultural community to make significant strides in reducing agricultural nutrients in the nation’s waters. In the memo, EPA lists plans to support innovation and pursue science-based and data-driven strategies to reduce excess nutrients in the nation’s waters. Additionally, the agency promised to provide technical assistance and other support to help states, tribes, and territories to scale effective nutrient loss reduction strategies. 

 

The newly announced memo could result in incentives to increase the application of cover crop acres which results in preventing nutrient run off. The full EPA memo can be found here.