Earth Justice: State Legislature Choking Clean Water Rules
(Posted May 02, 2011 07:05 am)
TALLAHASSEE,
FL - Stinking, slimy, poisonous rivers filled with dead
fish may sound like a horror movie, but it's a reality
story for some citizens of the Sunshine State. Toxic
algae fed by nutrient pollution are increasingly
plaguing a number of Florida's fresh waterways, while
budget cuts and proposed restrictions on the state
Department of Environmental Protection could make it
harder to keep those state waters clean.
David Guest, the director of
Florida Earth Justice, says some state legislators
want to solve the problem by simply changing the rules
that define what constitutes polluted water.
"One of which is; it's okay to swim but don't get too
much in your mouth; don't swim in it, it's too
dangerous; and the third one is, don't let your kids
wade in it."
The last major algae outbreak in 2005 saw waterfront
property values drop by $500 million, according to the
Florida Board of Realtors.
Property owners in Southwest Florida, living along the
Caloosahatchee River, are watching the green goo
completely blanket the waterway and shoreline. Guest
points out that some Florida lawmakers are just mucking
up the problem by passing measures that play word games.
"A bill that actually passed the House of
Representatives aims to legalize the pollution instead
of trying to solve the problem."
Guest explains that clean drinking water, jobs,
recreation, public health, property values, wildlife,
and Florida's entire way of life could all be affected.