|
Nation's Waters
See Waters of the United States.
National Ambient Air Quality Standards NAAQS
Standards that EPA sets under the Clean
Air Act to protect public health with an adequate margin of safety (primary
standards) and to protect the environment (secondary standards). These standards
apply to sources that emit pollutants into the atmosphere.
Related Programs - Clean Air Act National
Biological Service NBS
A federal bureau within the U.S. Department of the Interior. The mission
of NBS is "to provide, with others, the scientific understanding
and technologies needed to manage the Nation's biological resources."
National Environmental Policy Act NEPA
A federal law passed in 1990 that promotes efforts to prevent or eliminate damage
to the environment and biosphere and stimulates the health
and welfare of people. It established a Council on Environmental Quality. It is
comprised of two Titles: Title I - Declaration of National Environmental Policy;
Title II - Council on Environmental Quality (42 U.S.C. 4321-4347).
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA
A federal agency, NOAA's mandate is to conserve and manage wisely the
nation's coastal and marine resources, and describe and predict changes
in the Earth's environment to ensure sustainable economic opportunities.
NOAA administers the National Sea Grant College Program,
National Underseas Research Program, National Marine Fisheries Service,
National Coastal Resources Research and Development Institute, National
Weather Service, and others.
National Park Service
NPS
An agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior that
manages the national park system. Active participant in the Binational
Program. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
NPDES
Federal regulations that constitute the national program for issuing,
modifying, revoking, re-issuing, terminating, monitoring, and enforcing
permits and enforcing pretreatment requirements
for point source discharges to surface
waters under the Clean Water Act, Section
402. Related Programs - Clean Water Act,
40 CFR
National Priorities List NPL
A
list of inactive, hazardous waste sites designated under Superfund
as needing long-term remedial actions. Currently, there are about 1,200 sites
on the NPL. Related Programs - Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act National Sea
Grant College Program NSGCP
A nation-wide partnership with
public and private sectors combining research, education, and technology transfer
for public service. A national network of universities meeting changing environmental
and economic needs of people, industry, and government in coastal, ocean, and
Great Lakes States. Administered by National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See also Minnesota
Sea Grant. Related Programs - National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration Nationwide Permit NWP
A type of general permit issued by the Army
Corps of Engineers allowing certain activities to take place in the Waters
of the U.S. If certain conditions are met, the specified activities can take
place without the need for an individual or regional
permit. Related Programs - Section 404, 33
CFR Natural Resources Conservation Service NRCS
A federal agency within the United States Department of Agriculture
that provides technical assistance to land users in cooperation with other federal,
state, and local agencies in carrying out a variety of natural resources-related
programs designed to promote protection and wise use of these resources on private
lands. Formerly the Soil Conservation Service.
Natural Resources Research Institute NRRI
A University of
Minnesota research institute established in 1983 by the Minnesota legislature
to foster economic development of Minnesota's natural resources in an environmentally-sound
manner and promote private sector employment. See also Center
for Water and the Environment. Related Programs - University of Minnesota
Naturalized Species
An intentionally or unintentionally
introduced species that has adapted to and reproduces successfully in its new
environment. Some Great Lakes examples include the rainbow
smelt, the alewife, and some salmon and trout species. Navigable
Waters
Navigable waters of the United States are waters subject to
the ebb and flow of the tide and/or used to transport interstate or foreign commerce.
A determination of navigability, once made, applies over the entire surface of
the waterbody, and is not changed by later actions or events which impede or destroy
navigable capacity. Also referred to as Waters of the U.S.
Related Programs - 33 CFR Neurotoxin
A substance that is known or suspected to be poisonous to nerve tissue.
Nitrogen Oxides NOx
Pollutants
that can be a component of smog and also can contribute to acid rain. One of the
criteria pollutants regulated by the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments.
Sources include automobiles and industrial point sources.
No Net Loss
A federal and Minnesota state policy to achieve no overall net loss of
the nation's remaining wetlands base as defined
by acreage and function and to restore and create wetlands
where feasible, to increase the quality and quantity of the nation's wetland
resource base. Related Programs - Wetland Conservation
Act, Section 404.
No Observable Effect Concentration NOEC
For toxic substances, it is the highest tested concentration
at which no adverse effects are observed in an aquatic organism at a specific
time of observation. Non-Chemical Stressors
Physical and biological factors that can impact water quality or ecosystem
health. Examples include, heat, sediment, non-indigenous
species. Non-Indigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and
Control Act of 1990
A federal law to prevent the unintentional introduction
and dispersal of non-indigenous species into the waters
of the U.S. The act mandates the establishment of: a national ballast water
control program; the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force;
initial research funding; technical assistance and education for federal and state
agencies; state management plans; and grant programs to prevent, monitor, and
control the spread of zebra mussels and other exotic
species. It also provides for the establishment of regulations that control
the introduction of and dispersal of these organisms. See also aquatic
nuisance species. Non-Indigenous Species
Those species found beyond their natural ranges or natural zone of potential dispersal.
Also referred to as exotic species. See also aquatic
nuisance species. Nonpoint Source
See nonpoint
source pollution. Nonpoint Source Pollution NPS
Pollution where the sources cannot be traced to a single, distinct,
identifiable point. Nonpoint source pollution can come from atmospheric
deposition, erosion, and runoff from parking lots,
farms, and streets. North Shore Management Board NSMB
A Minnesota joint powers board that represents local governments in decisions
about coastline management on Minnesota's North Shore. Implements the
North Shore Management Plan.
North Shore Management Plan NSMP
A Minnesota plan for the environmental protection and orderly growth
of the North Shore of Lake Superior developed by the residents
of the area. Consists of several planning elements, each dealing with an area
needing special attention such as shoreland management, harbors of refuge, transportation,
recreation, tourism, and economic development. Northeast
Minnesota Waste Exchange NMWE
A local program administered
by the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District, this
organization recycles household waste such as paint. Its primary effort is aimed
at getting businesses that have unwanted products in touch with potential users
of those products. Related Programs - Western Lake Superior
Sanitary District Northeastern Minnesota Environmental
and Economic Council NEMEEC
An organization of northeastern Minnesota citizens formed in the 1970's
in response to the potential for Minnesota's enrollment in the federal
Coastal Zone Management Program. NEMEEC's approach
is to insure that CZM does not ignore or hamper economic development.
Nutrients
Elements or compounds essential as
raw materials for organism growth and development, such as carbon, nitrogen, and
phosphorus. | 
