The Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) was tasked by the five Gulf State Governors to identify major issues affecting the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and to set priorities for ameliorating these problems. One priority identified by GOMA is the need to improve detection methods for water quality indicators, pathogens and microbial source tracking. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is tasked with revising water quality criteria by 2012; however, the locations traditionally studied by the USEPA are not representative of the GoM and this has raised concern about whether or not the new criteria will be appropriate. This paper outlines a number of concerns, including deadlines associated with the USEPA Consent Decree, which may prevent inclusion of research needed to produce a well-developed set of methods and criteria appropriate for all regulated waters. GOMA makes several recommendations including ensuring that criteria formulation use data that include GoM-specific conditions (e.g. lower bather density, nonpoint sources), that rapid-testing methods be feasible and adequately controlled, and that USEPA maintains investments in water quality research once the new criteria are promulgated in order to assure that outstanding scientific questions are addressed and that scientifically defensible criteria are achieved for the GoM and other regulated waterbodies.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Research Article|
August 01 2011
New USEPA water quality criteria by 2012: GOMA concerns and recommendations
Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA), Water Quality Priority Issue Team, GOMA Pathogens Workgroup Writing Team:;
Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA), Water Quality Priority Issue Team, GOMA Pathogens Workgroup Writing Team:
Search for other works by this author on:
Janet Gooch-Moore;
1National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, Center for Coastal Environmental Health & Biomolecular Research, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for other works by this author on:
Kelly D. Goodwin;
Kelly D. Goodwin
2National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Ocean Chemistry Division, Miami, FL 33149, USA and Stationed at the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, CA, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Carol Dorsey;
Carol Dorsey
3Mobile Division Laboratory, Alabama Department of Public Health, Mobile, AL 36608, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
R. D. Ellender;
R. D. Ellender
4Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Joanna B. Mott;
Joanna B. Mott
5Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Mark Ornelas;
Mark Ornelas
6Alabama Department of Environmental Management, Mobile, AL 36608, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Chris Sinigalliano;
Chris Sinigalliano
7National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratories, Ocean Chemistry Division, Miami, FL 33149, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Bob Vincent;
Bob Vincent
8Bureau of Water Programs, Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, FL 32399, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
David Whiting;
... Show more
David Whiting
9Bureau of Laboratories, Biology Section, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Tallahassee, FL 32399, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Steven H. Wolfe
Steven H. Wolfe
10Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Tallahassee, FL 32399, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
J Water Health (2011) 9 (4): 718–733.
Article history
Received:
September 30 2010
Accepted:
April 15 2011
Citation
Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA), Water Quality Priority Issue Team, GOMA Pathogens Workgroup Writing Team:, Janet Gooch-Moore, Kelly D. Goodwin, Carol Dorsey, R. D. Ellender, Joanna B. Mott, Mark Ornelas, Chris Sinigalliano, Bob Vincent, David Whiting, Steven H. Wolfe; New USEPA water quality criteria by 2012: GOMA concerns and recommendations. J Water Health 1 December 2011; 9 (4): 718–733. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2011.156
Download citation file: