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Conservation Community Unites to oppose Fla Senate Bill 724, Domestic Wastewater Discharged Through Ocean Outfalls

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This bill, if passed, will weaken the Outfall Legislation passed by the Florida Legislature 4 years ago which gave municipalities in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties 10 years to phase out ocean outfalls that reduced water quality for the area’s coral reefs. They were mandated to implement advanced wastewater treatment and re-use that would be beneficial because it would increase much-needed fresh water supplies.  Now efforts are underway once again to weaken these standards and allow some pollution to be discharged on the coral reefs that support the area’s dive and tourism industry.  We don’t need more closed beaches; we need clean water for the corals to thrive.  This is an ideal opportunity to begin needed infrastructure projects that will boost the economy as well.  Now is not the time—vote no on this bill. Please add your name and send in your own letter to the Senators listed below.     DeeVon

 

From: Reef Rescue <etichscuba@aol.com>
To: alexander.jd.web <alexander.jd.web@flsenate.gov>; altman.thad.web <altman.thad.web@flsenate.gov>; benacquisto.lizbeth.web <benacquisto.lizbeth.web@flsenate.gov>; bennett.mike.web <bennett.mike.web@flsenate.gov>; bogdanoff.ellyn.web <bogdanoff.ellyn.web@flsenate.gov>; braynon.oscar.web <braynon.oscar.web@flsenate.gov>; bullard.larcenia.web <bullard.larcenia.web@flsenate.gov>; dean.charles.web <dean.charles.web@flsenate.gov>; detert.nancy.web <detert.nancy.web@flsenate.gov>; dockery.paula.web <dockery.paula.web@flsenate.gov>; evers.greg.web <evers.greg.web@flsenate.gov>; fasano.mike.web <fasano.mike.web@flsenate.gov>; flores.anitere.web <flores.anitere.web@flsenate.gov>; gaetz.don.web <gaetz.don.web@flsenate.gov>; garcia.rene.web <garcia.rene.web@flsenate.gov>; gardiner.andy.web <gardiner.andy.web@flsenate.gov>; gibson.audrey.web <gibson.audrey.web@flsenate.gov>; haridopolos.mike.web <haridopolos.mike.web@flsenate.gov>; hays.alan.web <hays.alan.web@flsenate.gov>; jones.dennis.web <jones.dennis.web@flsenate.gov>; joyner.arthenia.web <joyner.arthenia.web@flsenate.gov>; latvala.jack.web <latvala.jack.web@flsenate.gov>; lynn.evelyn.web <lynn.evelyn.web@flsenate.gov>; margolis.gwen.web <margolis.gwen.web@flsenate.gov>; montford.bill.web <montford.bill.web@flsenate.gov>; negron.joe.web <negron.joe.web@flsenate.gov>; norman.jim.web <norman.jim.web@flsenate.gov>; oelrich.steve.web <oelrich.steve.web@flsenate.gov>; norman.jim.web <norman.jim.web@flsenate.gov>; oelrich.steve.web <oelrich.steve.web@flsenate.gov>; rich.nan.web <rich.nan.web@flsenate.gov>; richter.garrett.web <richter.garrett.web@flsenate.gov>; ring.jeremy.web <ring.jeremy.web@flsenate.gov>; sachs.maria.web <sachs.maria.web@flsenate.gov>; simmons.david.web <simmons.david.web@flsenate.gov>; siplin.gary.web <siplin.gary.web@flsenate.gov>; smith.chris.web <smith.chris.web@flsenate.gov>; sobel.eleanor.web <sobel.eleanor.web@flsenate.gov>; storms.ronda.web <storms.ronda.web@flsenate.gov>; thrasher.john.web <thrasher.john.web@flsenate.gov>; wise.stephen.web <wise.stephen.web@flsenate.gov>
Sent: Thu, Feb 23, 2012 9:06 am
Subject: Senate Bill 724, Domestic Wastewater Discharged Through Ocean Outfalls

 

Clean Water Network of Florida,                                            February 23, 2012                                   
Cry-of-the-Water,
Eastern Surfing Association,
Global Coral Reef Alliance,
Greater Fort Lauderdale Dive Operators Association,
Nature Travelers Club,
Ocean Rehab Initiative Inc.,
Palm Beach County Dive Industry Association,
Palm Beach County Reef Rescue,
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility,
Surfrider Foundation,
Reef Relief,
Reef Relief Founders
 
Re: Senate Bill 724, Domestic Wastewater Discharged Through Ocean Outfalls
 
Dear Senator:
We, the undersigned ocean advocacy, industry and conservation organizations, on behalf of our ten’s of thousands of members and supporters strongly urge you not to support Senate Bill 724 (Domestic Wastewater Discharged Through Ocean Outfalls). SB 724 is intended to delay implementation of the 2008 Florida Ocean Outfall legislation which was enacted to phase out the archaic practice of discharging inadequately treated sewage into southeast Florida’s coastal coral reef ecosystem.
According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 239,000 acres of coral reefs and associated reef resources lie within the four-county area affected by SB 724. This northern portion of the Florida Reef Tract stretches more than100 miles from the northern boundary of Biscayne National Park in Miami-Dade County to the St. Lucie Inlet in Martin County. These reefs are part of the third longest reef system in the world which annually sustains more than 71,000 jobs and generates $6.3 billion dollars in sales and income for Florida. (http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/news/2009/02/files/0212_02.pdf)
 
Florida’s corals are dying at an alarming rate; between 1996 and 2001 the Keys experienced a 40 percent decrease in coral cover. Since the 1980’s, 97% of Florida’s Staghorn and Elkhorn reef building corals have died prompting the federal government to elevate these species to threatened status under the Endangered Species Act. Recent studies have linked Elkhorn coral white pox disease with Serratia marcescens, a human pathogen found in sewage, (Sutherland KP, Shaban S, Joyner JL, Porter JW, Lipp EK (2011) Human Pathogen Shown to Cause Disease in the Threatened Eklhorn Coral Acropora palmata. PLoS ONE 6(8): e23468. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0023468).
Along with the mix of nutrient pollution and pathogens spewing from south Florida’s ocean outfalls, EPA reports Personal Care Products and Pharmaceuticals (PCPP’s) now represent and ever increasing threat to the environment. Recent studies have found Prozac in fish organs and disrupted sexual development in fish cause by estrogen.
The 2008 Florida Ocean Outfall legislation was not all about saving coral reefs. A key driver of the legislation was the need to conserve water in south Florida. Water needed for agriculture, population growth and Everglades restoration. The southeast counties have one of the lowest water reclamation and reuse records in Florida. Everyday 396,000,000 gallons of wastewater is discharged into the coastal waters of Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. The 2008 legislation mandates that 60% of this wastewater be allocated for reuse.
We strongly urge you not to turn back the clock; time is running out for Florida’s coral reefs. Please vote no on SB 724.
Sincerely,
Clean Water Network of Florida
Linda Young, Director
 
Cry-of-the-Water
Dan Clark, President
 
Eastern Surfing Association National Head Quarters
Eastern Surfing Association South Florida District
Eastern Surfing Association Palm Beach County District
Tom Warnke, Chairman of the Board
 
Global Coral Reef Alliance
Thomas J. Goreau, PhD, President
 
Greater Fort Lauderdale Diving Association
Jeff Torode, President
 
Nature Travelers Club, Delray Beach
Hope Fox, President
 
Ocean Rehab Initiative Inc.
William Djubin, President
 
Palm Beach County Dive Industry Association
Van Blakeman, Director
 
Palm Beach County Reef Rescue
Ed Tichenor, Director
 
PEER, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
Jerry Phillips, Director Florida Chapter
 
Surfrider Foundation
Miami Chapter
Broward Chapter
Treasure Coast Chapter
Sebastian Inlet Chapter
Cocoa Beach Chapter
Volusia Flagler Chapter
First Coast Chapter
Suncoast Chapter
Central Florida Chapter
Emerald Coast Chapter
Ericka Canales, Florida Regional Manager
 
Surfrider Foundation Palm Beach County Chapter
Todd Remmel, Chapter Chair
 
Reef Relief
Peter Anderson, Chairman & President
 
Reef Relief Founders
Craig & DeeVon Quirolo
Special thanks to Reef Rescue of Palm Beach.   Learn more and read their action alert at:  http://reefrescuealert.wordpress.com/
 

 

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