News

  State of the Florida Environment

  Florida has been undergoing rapid growth and increasing congestion with widespread adverse consequences that threaten our environment, economy, and health.  Growth-related damage to Florida includes:

- Export of economic capital due to energy dependency and huge sums for fuel imports

- Saltwater intrusion

-Drying up of lakes and wetlands in many areas

-Falling water tables

-Rapid decline of the Everglades and coastal environments

-Collapse in the populations of fish, shellfish, birds, and wildlife of Florida

-Toxic fish and seafood due to increased levels of mercury and toxics from emissions and coastal pollution

-Lack of safe options for disposal of increasing levels of garbage and sewerage

-Increased accumulation of toxics in the environment, significantly affecting Floridians, including major increases in birth defects and infant neurological and immune problems

FLCV IS ISSUING THIS CALL TO ACTION TO RECOGNIZE AND DEAL WITH THESE PROBLEMS.

   This statement is a summary and update of reports released earlier by Florida Watch Institute on trends and the state of the Florida environment.  It documents that the continuing growth in Florida, and the resulting increase in wastes, pollution, and toxics, has surpassed the regional carrying capacity in large areas of Florida.  Hence we are now seeing rapid declines in the state of the Florida environment:  in fish, seafood, birds, and other wildlife, and in the quality of life and health of many Floridians. Florida is experiencing increased congestion, water shortages in coastal and urban areas, as well as contamination to thousands of wells, lakes, rivers, and bays due to toxics and pollution from air emissions, waste effluent and runoff, causing serious declines in fish and wildlife, and also now affecting the food chain and the health of large numbers of Floridians, especially children.

Examples:

(1) The state is losing large areas of wetlands due to growth and development each year.  Additionally, Central Florida has lost over 150,000 acres of wetlands in recent years; lakes throughout the north and central Florida area are drying up; and we are seeing widespread saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers from water use and pumping beyond the area’s carrying capacity.  This is leading to water wars between coastal and inland counties.

       Drainage of wetland areas for urban and agricultural use, and diversion of water from the Everglades and Florida Bay, have lead to catastrophic collapses of plant, bird, and wildlife ecosystems in huge areas.  There has been a 90% decline in wading birds in the Everglades, and sea grass, coral reefs, and saltwater fisheries are rapidly declining or collapsing in areas like Florida Bay and the Florida Keys.  Sea grass and fisheries are also declining in most other areas of Florida.

(2) Pesticide runoff from farms, lawns, and from spraying to control exotic weeds and mosquitoes, is affecting fish and wildlife throughout Florida.  Catastrophic collapses have occurred in populations of amphibians, fish, turtles, alligators, etc., due to organochlorine pesticide-induced reproductive system abnormalities that are resulting in the inability to reproduce. This has resulted in an over 90% decline in such populations of Lake Apopka.  Likewise, die-off of lobsters, clams, amphibians, etc. is occurring in coastal areas.    Similarly, fish, seafood, and other wildlife of St. Josephs Bay, Perdido Bay, and many rivers and lakes of Florida are contaminated by dioxin, which has similar effects as the other organochlorine compounds, but has also been found to be the most toxic and carcinogenic compound ever tested.   

Marine mammals at the top of the food chain, like dolphins, are experiencing die-offs in Florida and  world-wide, due to the accumulation of organochlorine compounds in fish and marine mammals.

(3) The food chain and seafood in several bays have been contaminated by radioactive elements like radium from phosphate mining wastes and coal or ash pile runoff.  Likewise, bays, lakes, and drainage ponds are accumulating highly toxic and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and toxic metals like mercury, cadmium, lead, and copper, from air emissions, urban runoff, industrial effluent, and sewage.

(4) Toxic metals, like mercury, lead, and cadmium, as well as endocrine system-disrupting chemicals, like dioxin and PAHs, are getting into the food chain from emissions of incinerators and fossil fuel combustion.  This has resulted in over half the rivers and lakes in Florida having health warnings regarding dangerous levels of mercury or other toxics in the fish and widespread fish disease and fish cancer.  Dangerous levels of mercury and other toxics are also being found in shellfish and saltwater fish such as tuna, swordfish, bluefish, and sharks at the top of the food chain.  The level of dioxin found in the food chain, in people, and in mother's milk in many areas of the country is above the level found to cause serious harm to animals in studies, and Florida appears to have some of the highest emission rates in the country.

   Toxics in the food chain in Florida have been documented to be causing serious harm to wildlife populations like panthers, alligators, and fish eating birds, and also appear to be seriously affecting people in Florida, causing increased reproductive problems and reproductive system abnormalities and cancer.

(5) We are generating millions of pounds of toxics with no legal place to dispose of them in Florida, and running out of places to dispose of the growing volumes of garbage, sewage, and industrial effluent, which is often contaminated with toxics.  There have been increasing levels of toxic metals, dioxin, and acid pollutants deposited throughout Florida’s lakes, streams, bays, ecosystem, and food chain by emissions from incinerators and power plants.  This is resulting not only in serious environmental degradation and damage to groundwater, surface water, wildlife, sea grasses, and coral reefs, but also in adverse health effects and ever-increasing costs to dispose of these wastes in a manner without doing serious environmental damage.

(6) There has been a very large increase in birth defects, neurologically damaged children with conditions such as autism, ADHD, etc. and allergic conditions such as allergies, asthma, systemic eczema, etc. due to increased exposure to toxic substances.   The National Academy of Sciences recently found that almost 50% of births result in birth defects, neurologically damaged infants, or other chronic developmental health problems, mostly related to toxic exposures. 

       Likewise there is a large increase in chronic autoimmune conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome and multiple chemical sensitivities, etc. among the adult population due to exposure to toxic substances.

(7) Florida is almost totally energy dependent and imports over $25 billion dollars of fuel each year.  This constitutes a huge capital drain on the state economy, not to mention a significant portion of the national trade deficit each year.  North Florida areas have also been found to have high lung cancer rates that appear to be related to air emissions of acid pollutants and toxic metals; and Central Florida has high lung cancer rates related to phosphate mine wastes.

(8) There is scientific consensus that global warming and ozone layer degradation are extremely serious problems already affecting Floridians and people throughout the world. This year was the hottest in history and the ozone decline over the Antarctic and rest of the world the worst in history.  Florida is especially susceptible to the effects of global warming.

      Global warming has already had major effects on climate with heat waves, droughts, water table draw-down, increased crop losses, stronger storms with increased damage, increasing range of insect-borne diseases from the tropics, sea level rise and coastal erosion.  This year has been the warmest in recorded history and follows the warmest decade in history.  Ice in glaciers and ice sheets are rapidly melting and disintegrating.

        This year's ozone hole over the Antarctic was the earliest and worst in history, bigger than the entire U.S., and a hole is developing over the Arctic that is predicted to seriously affect much larger numbers of people due to the higher population in northern latitudes of the northern hemisphere.  Increased skin cancer from ozone layer thinning and more rapid sea level rise are already being documented; each could have immense impacts on Florida's coastal areas and tourist industries.

      With continuing growth, increasing levels of pollution, and resource shortages becoming more evident, its more important than ever that we elect leaders that have an understanding and concern for these problems.  There are solutions that can reduce these problems, but insufficient resources or time have been given in recent years to these growing problems in Florida.  It is clear that some areas of Florida have surpassed the carrying capacity of water and other resources, as well as the ability to dispose of wastes in an environmentally acceptable and cost effective manner.  Toxic pollution from air emissions, urban and agricultural runoff, and effluent must be dealt with more effectively and soon, or the damage already widespread will become even worse.  Floridians and legislators need to become more educated on these issues and take them more seriously, because they threaten our quality of life and that of our children.

Sources:

(1) State of the Florida Environment, Florida Watch Institute, 1998;

(2) B. Windham, ": Dioxin. & Other Organochlorine and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals- Summary of Health Effects, Areas Affected, and Sources" 1999.        (3) B. Windham, "Mercury & Other Toxic Metals: Affected Lakes, Rivers, and Bays; Sources, Emissions, Deposition, Health Effects, & Controls" 1999. 

 (4) B. Windham, "Public and Private Wells and Surface Waters Contaminated by Toxics in Florida- Incidence, Chemicals Involved, Sources, etc." 1996;

(5) B. Windham, Adverse Health Effects of Pesticide, 1999.

(6) B. Windham,” Increase in Children’s Neurological and Immune Conditions due to exposure to mercury and other toxic metals: autism, schizophrenia, ADD, allergies, asthma, eczema, lupus, etc.       2000;        

(7) B. Windham, “Cognitive & Behavioral Effects of Toxic Metal Exposure (including effects on achievement, juvenile delinquency, crime, etc.), 1999;

(8) B. Windham, Adverse Health Effects Related to Solvents and Industrial   Chemicals.    

(References available by email or with prepaid postage)

         contact: B. Windham 850-878-9024, email: berniew1@earthlink.net

At its Annual Conference last weekend in Tampa, the American Planning Association, Florida Chapter honored the Florida League of Conservation Voters for its "exemplary service on planning concerns in Florida."  FLCV volunteers were recognized for their "outstanding work on this year's Legislative Scorecards and [their] efforts in the 2000 Legislative Session, as well as the Growth Management Coalition."  Present to receive the award was FLCV Advisory Board member and Brownfields Advisory Committee member Winnie Foster, of St. Petersburg, FL.

Also receiving recognition for his exceptional efforts on growth  management in Florida was Attorney General Bob Butterworth, who addressed conference attendees at Saturday's Awards Luncheon.

FLCV RELEASES 2000 ENVIRONMENTAL SCORECARD 

The Florida League of Conservation Voters today released the 2000 Environmental Legislative Scores and announced awards acknowledging the pro-environmental leadership of nine individual legislators.

            “Florida's 2000 Legislative Session was the worst ever with the most dangerous legislation being seriously considered. Florida’s fragile environment cannot tolerate more weakening of our state environmental laws,” explained FLCV President Nancy Brown, of Tallahassee.  “While the Republican leadership of the Florida House of Representatives pushed an agenda that would severely weaken environmental and growth management laws, the wisdom of a few Republican leaders in the Senate stopped much of the onslaught during the last few days of the session.”

            During the Session, FLCV recognized that several anti-environment bills were moving quickly through the legislative process, with few or no opposing votes in committees.  As a result, FLCV released its first-ever Mid-Session Scorecard to educate and alert the public to what their elected officials were promoting.  “The Mid-Session Scorecard, which showed several dozen ‘zero’ scores, also put our legislators on notice that their actions were being monitored,” explained Dan Hendrickson, vice president of the organization. “Now the scores at the end of the session show even more clearly how powerful the special interests are in securing anti- environmental commitments from so many legislators.”

            For FLCV’s final report on the 2000 Legislative Session, FLCV representatives documented more than five thousand votes on nearly five hundred pieces of environmental legislation.  The  most outrageous pieces of legislation in 2000 were clearly defined on the Mid-Session Scorecard.  Among these were the sovereignty submerged lands-grab bill, officially named “Land Conveyances,” which would have taken away public access to Florida’s waterways;  the attempted dismantling of  Florida’s Growth Management Act;  the attack on citizen standing that would silence the public’s right to protect their communities and natural resources, including the weakening of the Florida Environmental Protection Act of 1971;  the dubiously-titled “Right to Farm” bill;  the Rodman Dam legislation;  and the bill allowing a coliform exemption from safe drinking water standards for Aquifer Storage & Recovery projects.   “All of these targeted bills represent the profit-based agenda of special interests,” stated Hendrickson.   “Without a doubt, these bad bills will be back in the 2001 Legislature.”    

            The FLCV Gold Star Award this year went to Senator Jack Latvala, (R, Palm Harbor), who was the majority leader and the senator who publicly recognized the danger that these bills represented to the citizens of Florida and  their environment.  His sponsorship score was the highest in the Legislature:  30 points, earning him a total score of 82.6.  Senate President Toni Jennings (R, Orlando) received FLCV’s Silver Star Award for the policy decisions  she preserved in ensuring that the worst of the bills did not pass.  (Administrative Procedures Act, Submerged Lands, Rodman Dam, and Growth Management weakening legislation).  Senator Howard Forman scored highest in his chamber,92.9.

  In the House, Representative Marjorie Turnbull (D, Tallahassee) ranked the highest and received the Silver Star Award for her efforts to protect Florida’s growth management laws.  Representative Stacy Ritter (D, Coral Springs) was recognized with a Laurel Award for her pro- environment stands during the contentious session.  Other legislators receiving Laurel Awards for their leadership on specific bills were Senators Tom Lee (R, Brandon), Burt Saunders (R, Naples), and James Hargrett (D, Tampa);  and Representatives Lee Constantine (R, Orlando), and Curt Levine (D, Boca Raton).

            Despite the reform efforts of Senate President Toni Jennings, other legislators pushed through several ‘trains,’ including solid waste (HB1425), Fish & Wildlife Commission (SB386, SB186), pesticides (SB1114),  and transportation (SB772) in the 2000 session.   “Agribusiness lobbyists were attaching several amendments to at least five different bills during the final days of session,” explained environmental lobbyist Susie Caplowe. “The ‘pesticide bill’ that passed and became law was SB1114, which was the worst environmental bill to pass this year, since it included, among other radical provisions, the so-called ‘Right to Farm’ exemption from regulations.  That bill showed again why the legislators should NOT do last-minute trains.” 

Other bills drew criticism from the environmentalists.  “Industry lobbyists are reporting that the Okeechobee clean-up bill patterns after & follows the 1994 Everglades clean-up legislation.  Because of that, we think it was one of the biggest disappointments of the Session,” commented Brown.

The lowest scores in each house in 2000 were “earned” by Senator John Laurent --  1.6 points-- and Representative Adam Putnam—a negative 35.6. The negative scores include the “extra credit” sponsorship points for sponsoring anti-environmental legislation.  In contrast, 65 of the 160 legislators earned bonus points for a net positive sponsorship score, reflecting their sponsorship of more pro-environment bills and amendments than anti-environment.  Hendrickson concluded, “The 39% difference in scores between the Republicans and Democrats in the House was the widest since we’ve been tallying party averages, as was the 13% difference between the two chambers.” The Senate scored 13% higher overall average than the House for 2000.

Environmental Activists Begin Endorsements For 2000 Elections

28 representatives from two dozen Florida environmental organizations were hosted by Florida LCV on June 25 to compare environmental records and platforms of hundreds of candidates for public office throughout the state this fall.   

 The FLCV Advisory Board recommended dozens of pro-environment candidates and volunteers to continue research and working with other candidates to assist in FLCV’s endorsement process.  (Since we cannot list our official endorsed candidates on our website, contact us to find out how you can learn who is green and who is out “green scamming” in the current election campaigns).  This year’s onslaught of anti-environmental legislation which nearly destroyed environmental and community protection in Florida will surely be sponsored and heavily lobbied and in all likelihood, passed and enacted through the legislature next y ear, UNLESS you help us. Make Florida’s fragile environment, and our growth management/urban sprawl, and clean air and clean water visible issues this fall!

Happy Summer!  What a relief that this painful session has passed.  Here are some of the highlights of the session:

Seven of the eight bad bills cited died.  The eighth bill was a variation of the Right to Farm with pesticide language. 

See Sierra Club's veto message to Gov. Bush

We tabulated and published the first ever mid-session Legislative Scorecard which rated the legislators on how they voted on the worst bills in committees during the first six weeks of session.  The list and the scorecard became high profile in press conferences, news articles, op-eds and even on the Senate and House floor:  Legislators were showing each other their votes and referring to the list from their microphones!  

Our enemies sure made the environment an issue this session, and we must make it our focus between now and November.  Our political committee and endorsements will be our most important work in the next few months, and we look forward to working with you however you can.  As the session just proved to all of our organizations, working in coalition with other environmental groups is THE KEY to strategically targeting the public and holding our elected leaders accountable. 

"Environmental scorecard rates worst barrage of anti-environmental legislation  in first six weeks of  2000 legislative session"

For more information, contact:  Nancy Brown 850/ 385-5440
                           Susan Caplowe 850/ 709-0407

    ---Tallahassee.   The Florida League of Conservation Voters released the first-ever Mid-session Legislative Scorecard to underscore environmentalists' warnings of a pending "rollback of thirty years of environmental protections."   Tabulating more than thirty committee votes  on an unprecedented series of bills,  the interim report card showed  near unanimous support for what the group labeled "the worst barrage of anti-environmental legislation in Florida's history."

    "Florida's fragile environment cannot tolerate this dramatic weakening of the state's environmental laws," warned FLCV President Nancy Brown of Tallahassee.  "During these final days of the legislative session, special interests are perched to shove through many of the hundreds of dangerous bills and amendments that have been moving through the committee process."

   Through week six of the nine-week session, dozens of legislators have earned a voting score of "zero" since they have voted against the environment on all major bills the watchdog group has  rated so far (Eleven senators and Forty-four representatives).  By contrast, twelve senators and four representatives have voted 100% correct so far.

    "It's been bad, but we didn't realize the votes were quite this bad," said Charles Pattison, Executive Director of 1000 Friends of Florida, "until these scores were tabulated.  It remains a serious concern to all of us that among the "zero" scores in the House are several committee and council chairs of the committees with oversight over environmental policies."  Representatives Dockery, Putnam, Sembler, Alexander, Wallace, Sublette, Flanagan and Byrd  all chair related committees or councils and all scored "zero" on the major environmental votes.   

    "Despite the reform efforts of Senate President Toni Jennings in recent years, we fear that other legislators will be stapling bills together in "trains" and the public, as well as most legislators,  will not know what was passed until after the session is over," explained   Susie Caplowe, Sierra Club lobbyist.  "Once again, we are urging state legislators during these final days of session, `If you haven't read it, don't vote for it!"

    "If these bills go through during the last few hectic days," warned FLCV vice president Dan Hendrickson, "the House leadership will have accomplished what Newt Gingrich couldn't do on the federal level-to pass the radical agenda of many of their corporate sponsors to de-regulate the environment.  Just like these bills, Gingrich's `Contract on America' attempted  to stop state and local agencies from protecting our communities from toxics, to take away citizens' rights to challenge dangerous and ill-advised permits, and to weaken environmental protections for our families' drinking water."

    "The 1995 Contract tried to pass  `Takings' rip-offs similar to those now being pushed through by Representatives Alexander, Dockery and Putnam," continued Hendrickson.  "The Gingrich House also tried to pass radical `regulatory reform' to weaken agencies and limit our access to the administrative process for protection, which is being shepherded by Representatives Sublette and Pruitt.  Representatives Albright, Alexander, Sublette and others are attacking Florida's Growth Management Act to allow more urban `sprawl,' which will legalize the destruction of  wildlife habitat similar to the federal attacks on the Endangered Species Act."

    In all, the Mid-Session Scorecard tabulated nearly three hundred votes on thirty-four recorded "roll call" votes concerning 19 bills,  three roll calls on amendments and one "motion to reconsider"; the sponsorship scores acknowledged 264 individual sponsorships of bills and amendments which included at least some legislation by  nearly all  160 legislators.  
    
    The Florida League of Conservation Voters is a twenty-five year old environmental watchdog organization.  For more information on FLCV, visit the website at:  www.FloridaLCV.org.

LEGISLATORS THREATEN TO DEREGULATE ENVIRONMENT WITH BARRAGE OF SPECIAL INTEREST BILLS.
    
    The Florida Legislature is plunging Florida even deeper into a Newt Gingrich type of anti-public interest mentality.  The 2000 Legislative session has less than two weeks left to show the true colors of at least the Republican leadership in the Florida House.  Threatening to dismantle 30 years of environmental laws, the most egregious anti-environmental, anti-public health and anti-public interest  barrage of  legislation is coming to closure.
    While the House is leading the attack by sponsoring the barrage of  bills, the Florida Senate is not without sin. Individual sponsors include incumbents, some running for re-election without opposition, and other legislators who are leaving next month because of term-limits. The following list of bills makes it clear as to who benefits economically and who will bear the costs of this continued, reckless assault on our protections:
    It is apparent that the common denominator to these bills is campaign contributions from the special interests and lobbyists representing the following entities: Agri-business, Farm Bureau, Developers, Real Estate, Home-builders, Florida Chamber of Commerce, Associated Industries of Florida, Marine Industries, Petroleum Council, Florida Manufacturing and Chemical Council, …etc. The combination of these industries' total buying power (to name only a few) is astounding. According to data from Florida's Division of Elections' records, online since the 1996 elections: Farm/Farm Bureau/Agri-business has contributed at least $1, 033,718 to political campaign accounts; builders, home-builders, construction, at least $1,002,349; real estate & developers $5,088,477; shopping centers & malls $48,291; asphalt, cement, transportation industry $862,148; ports, shipping & airports $79,968; utilities $1,281,876; petroleum, chemical, manufacturing, mining $819,736; not to mention Associated Industries of Florida, whose three political committees give upwards to a million dollars total each election. These figures also fail to report the many campaign contributions from the law firms and lobbyists who write, wrangle, and negotiate these various pieces of legislation.  

Environmental Scorecards

The following bills will be used on this year's Florida League of Conservation Voters Scorecard. After input from virtually all statewide environmental organizations, each bill listed here will receive the highest weight because of serious negative environmental impacts. These bills represent the worst anti-environmental bills ever. Write a "letter to the editor" telling your legislator to stop this barrage of environmental attacks. This is one of the most effective ways to get your legislator to listen you.

    HB 1807 and SB 1824-Land Conveyances:  Sponsored by Reps. Dockery and Putnam and Senator Campbell and others. The "Sovereignty Submerged Lands Grab" would give away countless public acres of navigable lakes and rivers and give them to large private landowners.

    HB 1757 and SB 2140-Demineralization Concentrate:  Sponsored by Rep. Alexander in the House and Sen. Latvala in the Senate.  Present law requires that a desal plant meet requirements that industrial waste water has to meet.  This bill would eliminate that requirement, leaving it to future rulemakers. It also includes an amendment, titled the "Aquifer Storage and Recovery," that weakens the drinking water standards eliminating the testing for coliform and sodium.

    HB 2237 and SB 1904 & 1848-Right to Farm: Sponsored by Rep. Putnam and the House Agriculture Committee and Sen. Kirkpatrick. A one paragraph bill that says "a local government may not prohibit, restrict, regulate or otherwise limit the continuing use of any land for the purpose of growing or harvesting plants crops, trees or other agricultural or forestry products, raising livestock or any other agricultural purpose."  

    HB 2023 and SB 2556-Administrative Procedures Act: Sponsored by  Rep. Bense and Sen. King. This bill effectively takes away the rights of citizens to oppose environmental permits, compels citizens to accept the terms of mediation or be subject to attorneys' fees, and removes "standing" for environmental and homeowner groups from most permit fights.

    HB 659 and SB 2476-Property Rights: Sponsored by Rep. Alexander and Sen. Kirkpatrick.  This bill eliminates the ability of city or county governments to protect sensitive habitat and water recharge areas with appropriate development or density restrictions, thus eliminating the controls to protect public health and safety. It makes the "Bert Harris Act" even worse.

    HB 2335-Growth Management: The Committee bill (HB 2335) has many provisions that are unacceptable and would undermine growth management. It includes an unacceptable variation of Senator Lee's good "Grow Smart" Council (SB 758), which is now in House messages. The bulk of HB 2335 is bad and should be thrown out. This bill also limits citizen access, has exemptions for developments of regional impact, encourages urban sprawl in rural areas, encourages the development of agricultural lands. . .

   HB 167 and SB 1474-Environmental Control Permitting: Sponsored by Representatives Argenziano, Putnam, Dockery and Tullis and Sen. Kirkpatrick. Exemption from permitting requirements for waterfront property owners to remove unconsolidated organic detrital material from water bodies adjacent to their property.