Nobody should lack access to clean and safe water, but sadly, that’s the reality for people on the Treasure Coast nearly every summer when the Army Corps dumps toxic water into our community.  

The algal bloom outbreak at Pahokee Marina is just the latest in a long line of disasters for Florida’s environment and public health. Urgent action is needed to address this issue!

That’s why I am proposing three policies to be included in this year’s appropriations bill that would help ensure Florida has access to safe and clean water:

• Defunding the spraying of toxic chemicals used to manage invasive plants.  Instead, the proposal would redirect the funding to mechanical and biological management methods.  These toxic chemicals are dangerous for humans, severely harm the ecology of Florida’s waterways, poison fish and contribute to the proliferation of harmful algal blooms. 

• Prohibiting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from spending any money to discharge water from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie Estuary that tests above the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 8 parts per billion microcystin standard.

• Prioritizing funding for the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir that will help send more water south and end harmful discharges to the east and west coasts of Florida.

This three-pronged approach would help ensure that our community has access to safe and clean water.  I’ll keep fighting to make it happen!