"U.S. EPA is reducing its efforts to address water pollution from livestock operations."

"Instead of writing a new rule to monitor and enforce pollution violations on a national scale, EPA will focus exclusively on the Chesapeake Bay. The work will satisfy a settlement agreement reached in 2010 with the nonprofit Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

The foundation and EPA announced the new scheme late yesterday after signing a binding agreement May 30 to carry out the work. It will consist largely of auditing whether states are carrying out their plans to meet EPA's nutrient limits for the bay, on-farm inspections and reviews of permits for livestock operations."

Amanda Peterka reports for Greenwire June 6, 2013. [2]