WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Brian Mast (FL-21) called on the United States Army Corps of Engineers to reverse its decision to release harmful Lake Okeechobee water into the St. Lucie Estuary. In a letter, Rep. Mast pressed the Corps to reconsider its plans to discharge toxic-laden water through the St. Lucie Lock and Dam.

“We can’t let our foot off the gas until we cross the finish line: ending all discharges to the east coast,” said Rep. Mast. “We must hold the Army Corps accountable to ensure that the new Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual benefits not just the East and West coasts, but the Everglades as a whole.”

The proposed discharges of massive amounts of water from Lake Okeechobee to the east coast not only threaten to cause significant ecological harm, endangering both the health of the St. Lucie Estuary and the communities that rely on it.

“This is like slowly emptying a septic tank into our house, just enough to make it unlivable but not enough to actually drain the tank,” said Rep. Mast.

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