The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 announced a Revised Designation Decision requiring that stormwater discharges from the Los Alamos Urban Area and Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico get permit coverage under the Clean Water Act. These areas are contributing to violations of New Mexico's water quality standards. This decision responds to a petition by Amigos Bravos and revises a previous ruling that was sent back for reconsideration by a court. The revised documentation and supplementary information are available online for review.
Simple Explanation
The people in charge of keeping water clean have said that some rainwater leaving Los Alamos, New Mexico, is making the water dirtier than the rules allow. So, they're making sure the places causing this get special permission to make sure it gets cleaned up.