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The Environmental Protection Agency today finalized a new, nationwide water-quality criterion for cadmium that is nearly 40 percent higher than the standard the National Marine Fisheries Service concluded would be safe for endangered salmon in Idaho. Used in the manufacturing of batteries, plastics and electronics, cadmium is toxic to people and wildlife and regulated under the Clean Water Act. But despite the recommendation from the Fisheries Service that the EPA consult with it, as required by the Endangered Species Act, the EPA refused.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that in a first round of funding, USDA will commit $4 million to several states in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to help agricultural landowners with accelerating stream and riverbank tree plantings that can reduce soil sedimentation, field and animal waste runoff, improving water quality.