Upper Mississippi and Ohio River Basin State Nutrient Reduction Strategies Workshop

US EPA's Region 5 is sponsoring a "State Nutrient Reduction Strategies Workshop -Agricultural Component" on June 13-15, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency Columbus, in Columbus, Ohio.  The workshop is intended to help states in the Upper Mississippi and Ohio River Basin develop the agricultural component for their State Nutrient Reduction Strategies, which are key components of the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force Action Plan.

The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force's 2008 Action Plan calls for the reduction of excessive nutrients to the Gulf of Mexico. As part of this overall effort, individual states are developing Nutrient Reduction Strategies, which outline how the state intends to reduce nutrient impairments within their jurisdiction, improve the quality of life for citizens, and contribute to reducing the size of the hypoxia zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

Agriculture has been identified as the largest single source of nutrients impacting the Gulf. The diversity of agriculture throughout the Upper Mississippi and Ohio River Basin and the range of agricultural intensity among the Basin states dictates that each state develop a state-specific plan to address agriculture.  The individual state strategies need to answer four basic questions:

1. What nutrient load reductions are achievable?
2. How will these reductions be achieved?
3. What is the implementation schedule and corresponding milestones for this effort?
4. What is the value to each stake holder from these reduction efforts?

Registration details and a workshop agenda are available here: http://agnutrientworkshop2011.rti.org/.  Questions about the conference can be directed to Cynthia Curtis, from US EPA Region 5 by phone (312-353-6959) or email (curtis.cynthia@epa.gov).