Florida's environment under attack from GOP

PB Post
March 18, 2011
Letters to the Editor

Gov. Scott, the Legislature and House Republicans in Washington are taking direct aim at Florida's environment.

The Sierra Club and other groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency to enforce the Clean Water Act in Florida. This lawsuit resulted in the establishment of numeric standards ­­- a verifiable standard that can be monitored and met to improve and maintain water quality.

The governor and the U.S. House are moving in the opposite direction. The House, through an amendment proposed by Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, would end funding for the EPA's establishment of the nutrient standards. The Legislature seeks to repeal requirements to verify that septic tanks work properly, to repeal the law to abolish ocean outfalls and to reduce environmental planning by cutting funding for the Department of Community Affairs. It plans to reduce impact fees that prevent taxpayers from being charged for the costs of development, such as new roads. Further, the Legislature would do away with regulations that protect us from over-development.

Florida does not have too little development; it has too much. Last year, more land was approved for development than the size of Everglades National Park, even though Florida still has 80,000 vacant houses due to foreclosure. The best way to improve property values is to reduce development and to rehab vacant houses. This would increase employment and improve the real estate market. Let's get the governor to move in the right direction. Protect the environment and create jobs.

DREW MARTIN

Lake Worth