Relaxed water quality standards threaten public health and the environment
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is tasked with protecting the water on which Florida’s ecosystems, wildlife, and human population depends. However, FDEP recently proposed relaxed water quality standards for dozens of pollutants including cancer-causing chemicals such as Benzene. The Environmental Regulation Commission (ERC), which is a governor-appointed body that oversees DEP, approved new human health-based water quality criteria that are not scientifically-robust or adequately protective of human health and the environment.
FDEP used a new methodology for calculating water quality criteria that allows more pollution than the methodology used by EPA and other states. The DEP also failed to provide sufficient public notice and accelerated the timeline for ERC approval, despite significant public concern and two of the required ERC seats for local governments and the environmental community being vacant.
Several groups have filed petitions to challenge FDEP’s approved rule change including the Seminole Tribe, the City of Miami, and Martin County for the standards being too lenient and unprotective. Conversely, the Florida Pulp and Paper Association are challenging them as they state it will inhibit their ability to discharge even more pollution into waterways in the future.
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida has been actively engaged, sending a comment letter to FDEP opposing the proposed revisions in early June and dispatching a Policy Action alert for our members to express their concerns as well. Recently, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida was invited to meet with Senator Nelson among other environmental leaders, to discuss concerns with the proposed revisions and how they will impact Floridians. We are supporting Senator Nelson’s request that EPA hold public hearings on this matter and give a hard look to this flawed proposal — rejecting the deficient standards and compelling the state to bring back more protective water quality standards.
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida will continue to actively advocate and collaborate with other stakeholders to oppose these flawed standards. Please subscribe to the Conservancy’s e-communications on our website if you haven’t already, so you can receive free updates and alerts on issues such as this and learn how you can help to protect our precious water resources.
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