We’ve seen kids get sick. We’ve seen dogs die. And we’ve seen our community pay the price while toxins and hazardous chemicals penetrate our waterways. Our fight for clean water is not over, but I am proud of the three bills I reintroduced earlier today to preserve the health, safety, and future of our communities. 

The Stop Poisoning Florida Act, the Toxic Health Threat Warning Act, and the PROTECT Florida Act are built on one simple idea: no Floridian should be forced to live with lethal chemicals in their water. These bills are common sense and focused on protecting the people who live, work, and raise their families in our neighborhoods. For years, the Army Corps of Engineers has discharged polluted water from Lake Okeechobee. Even when the toxicity levels exceed what the EPA says is safe for human contact. That stops with my bill: the Stop Poisoning Florida Act, and the Toxic Health Threat Warning Act, which would require public notice before any release of contaminated water. Also, the PROTECT Florida Act would finally require the Army Corps to prioritize public health. 

American families shouldn’t have to worry about what’s in the water, and these bills are for the people who’ve watched their health, their businesses, and their environment suffer because of federal incompetence. These bills are a step towards ending the harm that’s been done to our district.

I will not stop fighting until our kids can swim safely, our dogs can run freely, and our communities are no longer poisoned in their own backyards.