Environmental groups say a pair of lawsuits they have filed against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are necessary to reduce the size of large algae blooms, or "dead zones," that stretch for miles in the Gulf of Mexico, Chesapeake Bay and other waterways across the nation.
But the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) says court rulings in the environmental groups' favor could have "astronomical" financial impacts on wastewater treatment agencies, which would face facilities upgrades to comply with the stringent new standards.