The environmental law firm Earthjustice today announced that it has filed a 60-day Notice of Intent to Sue the U.S. Forest Service to protect imperiled manatees and shortnose sturgeon, two species the firm alleges are blocked from migrating in the Ocklawaha River because of a dam operated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
A week ago, the St. Johns River Water Management district released the results of a four-year study on the potential impacts of water withdrawals on the state’s largest river. Environmentalists are applauding the district for undertaking the project, but argue that many questions and legitimate concerns about the impact of water withdrawal on the St. Johns remain.
Gov. Rick Scott yesterday signed legislation supporting Florida’s effort to create its own set of water pollution rules, also known as “numeric nutrient criteria.” The move is likely to add fuel to the fire of environmentalists, who argue that the state-drafted rules are not stringent enough to combat Florida’s nutrient pollution problem.
House Republicans — including Florida GOP lawmakers Allen West, Vern Buchanan, David Rivera, Tom Rooney, Steve Southerland, and C.W. Bill Young — voted against a measure that would have prevented oil and gas exploration in the Great Lakes and the Florida Everglades.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., today introduced a bill that would force the EPA to scrap its set of Florida water quality standards and instead accept rules drafted by the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Environmental law firm Earthjustice yesterday announced that it has filed suit against the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, alleging that the agency “illegally held closed-door meetings to craft a plan which would cut off the public’s boating access to part of Fisheating Creek in Glades County” and therefore violated state open meeting requirements.
Sixty-five percent of the roses, carnations, lilies, pompons and crysanthemums Americans give on Valentine’s Day will come through Miami International Airport from farms in Colombia, the world’s second largest flower exporter and a country with which the U.S. recently signed a free trade agreement despite outcry from labor and social organizations over anti-union violence and labor violations.
The federal government today released a proposed $8.344 billion budget for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for fiscal year 2013. Florida environmental groups applauded the announcement, arguing the money would help ensure that job-creating restoration projects (like some underway in the Everglades) will not come to a halt.
In a new statement to The Florida Independent, the EPA defends its Florida-specific water pollution rules against charges in a new ad by the group Free Market Florida that the standards will cost the state “billions” and “eliminate 14,000 farming jobs.” Instead, according to the EPA, the regulations will ”save Florida money in the long run.”
The Florida Senate is attempting, again, to award a health center in an area experiencing a high rate of environmentally caused illnesses half a million dollars to address the community’s health challenges.
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