EPA Tells States to Consider Rising Ocean Acidity

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says some states with coastal waters that are becoming more acidic because of carbon dioxide should list them as impaired. The federal agency's memo to states Monday recognizes carbon dioxide is not only an air pollutant but a water pollutant. As oceans absorb excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, waters are becoming more acidic, which can affect sea life. The EPA says in 2012, states should begin to list waters that suffer from ocean acidification as impaired under the Clean Water Act. But it also acknowledges there's currently not enough information in many states to support listings for that reason. The memo stems from a legal settlement with the Center for Biological Diversity. The group sued the EPA last year for not requiring Washington state to list its coastal waters as impaired by rising acidity. AP