Nitrogen Cleanup Plans Released for Four Falmouth Waterways

FALMOUTH – Four Buzzards Bay waterways in Falmouth have received nitrogen pollution cleanup plans from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Total Maximum Daily Loads, or TMDLs, have been released for Quissett Harbor, Wild Harbor and Rands Harbor/Fiddlers Cove.

TMDLs are a critical tool to combat nitrogen pollution. The federally approved pollution limits define exactly how much nitrogen needs to be reduced from a waterway to achieve clean water standards.

The TMDLs call for a 32 percent reduction of nitrogen load in Wild Harbor, 25 percent in Rands Harbor/Fiddlers Cove and 22 percent in Quissett Harbor.

The TMDLs open the door to new planning and funding opportunities to restore polluted waterways.