Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam again spoke out against federal water policies last week — arguing that a set of water pollution standards mandated by the EPA are “flawed science” and that he would continue to fight them.
From the Lakeland Ledger:
Putnam, a Republican and Bartow native, spoke Wednesday evening to about 350 members and guests at the 2011 Gulf Citrus Growers Association Industry Banquet in Fort Myers as part of the Citrus Expo. The LaBelle-based association represents more than 130 growers in Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties.
In December 2010, Putnam (along with Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi) sued the EPA to halt the implementation of its “numeric nutrient criteria” and, during last week’s banquet, the Bartow Republican said he was “committed to challenging the EPA” on the decision. At a June Water Forum held in Orlando, Putnam argued that the state should implement nutrient standards on its own, without the help of the EPA.
During the Citrus banquet, Putnam also spoke about a recent Army Corps of Engineers proposal to put a moratorium on dike repairs around Lake Okeechobee. Putnam was quoted in the Ledger as calling the decision “unacceptable.”
“That’s unacceptable to communities around the dike. That’s unacceptable to agricultural users,” Putnam said. “That ought to be unacceptable to anyone concerned about water quality in Florida.”
