The federal Environmental Protection Agency has proposed delaying the implementation of a set of Florida-specific water quality standards for 90 days, allowing for the approval of a set of replacement rules drafted by the state.
A number of industry groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Fertilizer Institute, are calling on Congress to include a provision that would defund a set of Florida-specific water quality standards in the 2012 appropriations bill.
Though environmentalists have argued that Florida’s version of a set of federally mandated water pollution rules is inadequate, the state Department of Environmental Protection is defending its rules, saying they offer more provisions, and more protection, than those drafted by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Despite objections from environmental groups, the six-member Environmental Regulation Commission unanimously approved a set of water pollution standards drafted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection yesterday.
Yesterday, a coalition of environmental groups announced their decision to file a petition against the state Department of Environmental Protection’s “numeric nutrient criteria,” a set of water pollution standards they argue are not strong enough to fully protect Florida’s waterways. The Florida Independent spoke with both the St. Johns Riverkeeper, one of the plaintiffs in the suit, and Earthjustice attorney David Guest, who is representing the plaintiffs, to discuss the potential effects of the petition.
A group of environmentalists — including the Sierra Club and the St. Johns Riverkeeper — announced today that they have filed a legal challenge to a set of water pollution standards drafted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
In a newly produced handout, environmental groups argue that a new set of water pollution standards drafted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection are so poor that they “would actually be less protective than no numeric nutrient standards.”
In a new op-ed, Gov. Rick Scott touts his support for environmental safeguards, but argues against “one-size-fits-all solutions” to protect the state’s natural resources. The op-ed makes subtle references to a federally mandated set of water pollution standards that some argue been weakened due to criticism from state officials and the lobbying efforts of industries (like utilities and agriculture) that would be negatively affected by stricter standards.
The Environmental Protection Agency has come under fire for its decision to allow the state of Florida to write its own water pollution rules (known as “numeric nutrient criteria”). EPA Regional Administrator Gwendolyn Keyes Fleming is now firing back, writing that the Agency commends the state Department of Environmental Protection for its draft of a proposed standard.
The Environmental Protection Agency has responded positively to a draft of water pollution rules submitted by the state of Florida. In a letter written on Nov. 2, an EPA rep writes that, based on a review of the state’s rules, they will likely be implemented in place of a similar set of federally mandated standards.
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