One of the major problems with environmental permitting agencies appears to be a lack of expertise & enthusiasm in some areas, caused in large part by the failure of the Florida Legislature to adequately fund them.
Large development projects are not sufficiently reviewed and there is a real need for cumulative impacts review. Quality of life issues, particularly at the rate of growth Florida is experiencing, are important and should continue to be looked at. Since the health, welfare, and quality of life of Florida residents are closely tied to efficient permitting activity, the Legislature needs to review environmental regulatory funding priorities.
We are very concerned that there seems to be a carefully calculated national effort to undermine environmental protection. Contrary to recent rhetoric, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) mission to protect the environment is still worthy. EPA's effectiveness is easy to document.
Before EPA, 75% of all the rivers in the United States were so polluted that swimming and fishing were unwise. The Great Lakes were dying. In 1954, local rivers were the most common disposal site for poorly treated sewage. For example, industrial pollution of our rivers was so bad that Cleveland's Cuyahoga River caught fire and burned for 4 days.
Because of tough federal regulations and EPA oversight, 75% of America's rivers and streams are both swimmable and fishable. The Great Lakes are continuing to improve.
In 1971, the EPA established primary and secondary national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for sulfur oxides. Implementation of S02 air quality standards by the states and EPA, together with fuel shifts, have resulted in substantial improvements in ground-level air quality. In 1971, carbon monoxide was clouding our cities and was completely unregulated.
Many other areas of EPA regulation and oversight have improved our environment and health. There should be no effort to dismantle existing environmental protection. However, we also need to be sure that EPA has the ability to promote technologies that prevent pollution and to use economic incentives to reward businesses that use this technology. This technology should not just meet the minimum standards but should exceed them.
Americans care about protecting the environment. Americans also believe that a good environment and a good economy go hand in hand. States with strong environmental records create the best job opportunities and the healthiest climate for economic growth.
ManaSota-88's philosophy is based on the premise that a good economy can only exist in concert with a good environment.
To be successful, we should be aware of the need to get our information from independent sources, not from people with a vested interest in the outcome. This is necessary not only to protect our environment but to protect our system of government for today's generations, as well as for future generations. A free press and other communication media play a key role in protecting our environment.
Glenn Compton is the Chairman of ManaSota 88, a non-profit organization that has spent over 30 years fighting to protect the environment of Manatee and Sarasota counties.
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Charles
To be successful voters need to act now and great leaders such as Glenn Compton need to encourage getting the clean water amendment before the voters on the 2026 ballot. That is the path for Floridians to take to get the state to follow the will of the people for protecting the environment — our voters have supported it consistently, but had their mistakenly elected officials find ways to defund or declaw the publicly supported intentions. Clean water is pivotal to a clean environment, if the water is protected, it can only flow through a healthy environment, they are two sides of a coin. The clean water amendment takes away the ability of the bought and paid for legislators to prevent compliance — once the will of the people is in the constitution it is beyond their tricks. Once they become useless to their "investors" the no longer bought and paid for go looking for a new con — when the massive funds that influence uninformed voters will cease to flow, civic-minded folks will win primaries and hold offices instead of the bought and paid for... sign the petition, help get others to sign the petition — let's get the proposal onto the ballot for the voters to decide whether Florida can have clean and healthy waters. It now is up to voters to get this citizen initiative onto the ballot before the rumored threat to close that path becomes the future. https://www.floridarighttocleanwater.org/
Sunday, February 9 Report this
Charles
Florida Right To Clean Water
www.floridarighttocleanwater.org/
just do it
if you are a Florida voter (this is nonpartisan)
follow the steps at the site to get your petition filled with your voting information completed correctly — all you have to do is sign it, date it, and either mail it or, take it to a collection site in your community given on the site (they will come get it if you can not do any of that - even printing it out for you)... can't be easier
or,
sign the petition where you see folks collecting them
if you are not a Florida voter, but care —
help on the effort to get Florida voters to sign the petition
talk to others and encourage them to sign the petition
donate to help pay for materials, if you are able
Sunday, February 9 Report this