Water Pollution from Nonpoint Sources & the Environmental Protection Agency

Pollution from non-point sources such as runoff from farms or construction sites, remains the leading cause of impairment of the nation’s waters. Under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), each year the EPA provides grants to states to implement programs and fund projects that address non-point source pollution. The program received $165 million in fiscal year 2012. Section 319 includes minimum conditions that states must meet to receive grants. By regulation, the EPA’s ten regional offices oversee state programs and are to ensure that states’ projects can be feasibly implemented. This book examines the states’ experiences in funding projects that address non-point source pollution, with a focus on the EPA’s oversight of the Section 319 program to measure its effectiveness; and which key agricultural programs complement the EPA’s efforts to control such pollution.