A number of problems have been identified with respect to the causes of water pollution negatively affecting the Mississippi River. The loss of coastal wetlands, altered hydrology, agricultural runoff introducing pesticides and other toxins into the river, waste from industrial installations that is dumped into the Mississippi River, and nutrient pollution or eutrophication are among those problems ("Mississippi River Water Quality" 1-2).
Interviews conducted with government agencies and instructors at Louisiana State University indicate that agricultural waste runoff all along the entire expanse of the Mississippi River is a major problem contributing to water pollution. Consequently, it is this issue that is at the heart of the present proposal.
There is a large body of support for eliminating agricultural and industrial runoff into the Mississippi River ("Mississippi River Water Quality" 2). Eliminating the older, banned pesticides has provided a reduction in the presence of these chemicals, but Atrazine and Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) are present in quantities sufficient to cause some degree of concern.
The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force (2) recommend offering incentive payments to both agricultural and industrial businesses to encourage development of a certified four year nutrient management plan and a nitrification inhibitor as well as reduction of phosphate discharge into the river. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (1-2) also supports reducing nutrients by putting a higher statewide environmental priority on the development of watershed plans. In Illinois, the legislature (2) and former Governor Rod Blagojevich have assembled a team of experts to develop proactive programs for reducing industrial and agricultural runoff. These programs are not particularly costly.
A review of literature indicates that there are few if any credible sources in the United States who...