How Not to Improve Surface Water Quality

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed standards for "nutrient" water pollution in Florida. Unfortunately, the EPA proposal relies on command-and-control mechanisms rather than more efficient market approaches to limiting surface water pollution. In addition, in its proposed rule, the agency’s approach to cost-effectiveness analysis will discourage other states from implementing water quality regulations of their own. This is a poor approach to improving the health of U.S. waters