PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT

From the rolling hills and deep, tree covered gorges of the big bend, to the beautiful beaches around the entire state, to the vast “River of Grass” that is the everglades, to the Caribbean island feel of Key West, Florida’s unique and varied environment is what makes this such a special place to live. The major common link between all of these areas of Florida is water. Whether it’s the freshwater rivers, lakes or springs, the aquifer that provides our drinking water, the salt water of the gulf or ocean, or the brackish water of the everglades and river estuaries, clean water is critically important. Yet many environmental regulations protecting our waters have been weakened, and related budgets have been cut in recent years. While the budgets for the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Health (the agencies responsible for protecting our water) are ultimately decided by the legislature, we will include adequate funding to ensure water quality in our budget proposals, and will work to build support for those proposals. Additionally, since DEP and DOH are executive departments under the direct control of the governor, we will ensure that regulations are promulgated that properly protect all of our water. Here are the current environmental issues that require immediate action:

Red tide in the Gulf of Mexico: This is a naturally occurring phenomenon that has been documented for hundreds of years. However, the length and frequency of occurrence has increased. Run-off of nutrient rich fertilizer is suspected to contribute to this, particularly following active hurricane seasons. Regardless of the cause Florida businesses are suffering – commercial fisherman, fishing charters, restaurants, hotels, souvenir shops and camp grounds to name a few. We will attack this problem from two fronts. We will support businesses affected by red tide through grants and/or low interest loans, and we will support research into how to prevent or minimize the problem in the future through research grants to Florida universities. Both of these initiatives would be funded through the state emergency fund. These expenditures will protect tourism and promote the survival of small businesses, ultimately contributing to Florida’s tax base.

Blue-Green algae in the everglades: This problem is known to be caused by fertilizer run-off, made worse after the release of water from Lake Okeechobee. As with the red tide problem in the gulf, tourism-related businesses near Lake Okeechobee and along the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee River are suffering from this phenomenon. We would take a similar approach to this problem as with the red tide problem – supporting businesses and research. Additionally, we would work with our federal partners to fully implement the existing agreement between Florida and Washington to restore the everglades to the degree possible.

Chattahoochee/Flint/Apalachicola River System: This has been a problem of water use between Florida and Georgia for decades. Lake Lanier serves as a reservoir for Atlanta’s water demands, but the reduction in water flow to the Apalachicola Bay has resulted in dramatic reductions in oyster production. This battle is currently before the US Supreme Court. While we are not currently privy to the previous discussions with Georgia authorities, our actions will include review of all previous discussions and assessments of what can be done to come to a mutual agreement. We understand the need for water in Atlanta, but also commit to fight for Florida oystermen. Sitting together with Georgia authorities and with scientists to come to a mutually agreeable solution will be a priority.

Ground water/aquifer contamination: Across Florida there are problems with ground water contamination from failed septic systems and fertilizer run-off. We will work with hydrologists, geologists, local government representatives, utility representatives, farmers, and other stakeholders to develop solutions and funding sources to address these issues.

Fracking: The Florida aquifer is too shallow and too fragile to allow this procedure to be used here. We will do everything in our power, working with the legislature, to ensure that it is not permitted to be used in Florida.

Oil drilling off the coast of Florida: The Deepwater Horizon catastrophe illustrated the potential damage to beaches, shorelines and wildlife from oil rig incidents. This cannot be tolerated in Florida. In addition to the possibility of catastrophic spills, the mere sight of oil rigs from Florida beaches or charter boats will hurt the lifeblood of Florida’s economy – tourism. We will support the continued ban on drilling in Florida waters – about 10 miles out into the gulf and 3.5 miles out into the Atlantic, and continue to lobby Washington to maintain the current ban on federal waters off the Florida coast.