Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

We've had a couple of fish kills in our area recently, partly the result of an overload of nutrients in the water.

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency announced a plan to limit the amount of nutrients -- phosphorus and nitrogen -- that wind up in the Blackstone River and Narragansett Bay.

New limits will be imposed on the Upper Blackstone Water Pollution Abatement District; the largest wastewater plant that empties into the river. It's the single largest source of phosphorus and nitrogen to the river and the Bay, according to a statement released by the EPA.

New limits have also been issued to several Rhode Island plants, and to three others in Massachusetts.

Phosphorus in the river leads to degradation of habitat by fueling the growth of aquatic plants. In the Bay, nitrogen has resulted in dissolved oxygen, making it inaccessible to fish and resulting in fish kills.

 Tags  environment EPA Narragansett Bay

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