In 2010 the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, ordered EPA to direct the state of Florida to take specific measures to restore water quality to levels that protect the Everglades.  In response, EPA issued its September 2010 Amended Determination.  The Amended Determination identified a protective discharge limit for phosphorus from the Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs), and a comprehensive set of actions and milestones needed to meet clean water standards in the Everglades. These actions included a significant expansion of the STAs.

• Press Release - EPA Complies with Court Decision and Directs Florida to Restore Water Quality in the Everglades 

The Amended Determination prompted the state of Florida and EPA to conduct months of scientific and technical discussions.  In 2012 they reached a consensus on a stringent phosphorus limit for water discharged into the Everglades and new restoration strategies to achieve the phosphorus water quality standard for the Everglades.

• United States Environmental Protection Agency Amended Determination (PDF)(57 pp, 266 K)
• Amended Determination - Attachment A: Overview Map from 2010 South Florida Environmental Report (PDF)(2 pp, 218 K)
• Amended Determination - Attachment B: Summary of Remedies for Meeting Water Quality Based Effluent Limit (PDF)(2 pp, 46 K)
• Amended Determination - Attachment C: Milestones and Activities by Month/Year for Meeting WQBEL at Stormwater Treatment Areas (PDF)(2 pp, 29 K)
• Amended Determination - Attachment D: U.S. EPA’s 2009 Determination with Strikeout Text (PDF)(14 pp, 714 K)
• Amended Determination - Attachment E: Revision to Phosphorus Rule per Attachment 2 of 60(b) Motion (PDF)(7 pp, 37 K)
• Amended Determination - Attachment F: Revisions to Amended Everglades Forever Act per Attachment 1 of 60(b) Motion (PDF)(29 pp, 122 K)
• Amended Determination - Attachment G: WQBEL Technical Support Document (PDF)(31 pp, 301 K)
• Amended Determination - Attachment H: Assumptions and Modeling Report (PDF)(69 pp, 1 MB)
• Amended Determination - Attachment I: Conformed STA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (PDF)(236 pp, 1 MB)
• Amended Determination - Attachment J: Rationale for Conformed STA NPDES and EFA Permits (PDF)(27 pp, 156 K)