Sierra Club Blasts Rick Scott's Red Tide Plan

Statement of Frank Jackalone, Sierra Club Florida Chapter director:

 

"Rick Scott's call for the creation of a Center for Red Tide Research is nothing more than a self-serving publicity stunt. He is desperately diverting attention from his failure over his two terms as Governor to address the pollution problems which have fueled massive toxic red tide and green slime all across the state. 

 

"We're horrified that Scott is offering a half-baked, ineffective plan to Florida's ongoing water crisis at the end of his stint as governor. Where has he been for the last eight years as toxic algae blooms have repeatedly devastated the state's coastal waters, inland lakes, rivers and springs?  

 

"While 'Red Tide Rick' fiddled, Florida's waters burned with toxic algae. As a result, our coastal communities are plagued by the smell of millions of dead fish on their beaches and a devastated tourism industry.    

 

"Scott's proposal for more research won't cure red tide and green slime. The only way to reduce the occurrence, size and severity of harmful algae blooms is to stop the pollution that is feeding it at its source. We need  prevention, not more studies.

 

"Rick Scott is the person most responsible for Florida's growing, catastrophic toxic algae problem. Over his two terms as governor, Scott has put state enforcement of pollution laws in reverse by eliminating mandatory inspections of septic tanks and slashing enforcement of clean water regulations.  His plan for reducing dirty water releases to Florida's Gulf and Atlantic coasts has been to spend billions of dollars over the next decade to store more polluted water in Lake Okeechobee and to build a 23 foot high reservoir in the Everglades over the next 10 years and fill it with more dirty water.  His new plan today asking the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and the next Governor to do more research should make every Floridian mad as hell."