Kayak Charters has been asked to be part of the Florida Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. We have joined efforts with these and other organizations in bringing awareness about water quality and conservation.
Kayak Charters on NBC news with Ralf Brookes - attorney for The Sierra Club, Snook Foundation and other organizations. Jennifer Hecker - Director of Natural Resource of Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Frank Jackalone of the Sierra Club. On April 15th Kayak Charters and the above mentioned have presented a letter to the State Senator Lizabeth Benacquisto to oppose a bill that would replace EPA's propossed strong rules placing numeric limits on nitrogen and phosphorus levels in atate waters with a weak, ineffective process managed and enforced by the Florida Dept. Of Enviromental Protection.
Protestors gathered around the state and Fort Myers urging legislators not to pass a set of bills that let state officials set pollution standards. Those protesting want the federal government to control it instead, arguing state rules won't go far enough.
Protestors fear DEP standards won't go far enough--for instance, they say plans won't protect fresh and flowing water, like the Caloosahatchee River.
People outside Senator Lizabeth Benaquisto's office today argue the bills state lawmakers are considering will leave them with a hefty price tag--the cost to clean up harmful algae blooms that can fill Southwest Florida's rivers and estuary.
Rather than protect from pollution, protestors argue DEP rules are not stringent enough to limit the phosphorus and nitrogen levels that travel downstream to our coastline. Protestors say pollution and blooms that form hurt tourism-based industries, like fishing.
"You affect one little part of that circle of life and it directly affects everything down the chain," said Dominick Greco, professional angler, master kayaker and survival instructor of Kayak Charters.
"So many of our waters are polluted in Florida that we need help from federal government," said Frank Jackalone of the Sierra Club.
The DEP says its standards have the backing of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
We've asked, but so far have not gotten a response to today's protests from Senator Benaquisto's office.
We're told she's in Tallahassee today.
The Senate bill is set for a second reading and vote tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment