On Tuesday, lawyers for the state of Vermont urged a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit brought by the Conservation Law Foundation that says the state of Vermont and the federal government aren't doing enough to protect Lake Champlain from phosphorous pollution. The suite, which was filed in 2008, names the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a defendant and says the phosphorous pollution limits set in 2002 for Vermont were not stringent enough and did not take into account any effects of global climate change. The suit seeks to force EPA to reconsider the limits they approved 8 years ago.

This latest challenge by Vermont comes four months after the EPA reached an agreement with CLF under which the agency would get six months to reconsider the limits they approved previously, in exchange CLF would drop the suit, regardless of what EPA decided to do after their reconsideration. The state opposes this move because they fear it could result in EPA issuing newer more stringent requirements to reduce pollution in the lake.

To read more background on this issue, visit the Conservation Law Foundation's site.