By BRUCE RITCHIE FLORIDA ENVIRONMENTS.COM A court official has denied a motion by Georgia to dismiss a U. S. Supreme Court lawsuit by Florida seeking to cap Georgia’s water use. Florida in 2013 asked the Supreme Court to intervene following the crash of the oyster population in Apalachicola Bay. Alabama, Florida and Georgia have battled […]
Supreme Court official denies Georgia’s motion to dismiss case Read More »
By BRUCE RITCHIE FLORIDAENVIRONMENTS.COM APALACHICOLA — Both candidates in the race for Congress in the Florida Panhandle say the Apalachicola River and the tri-state water wars are an important issue for voters in the district. Alabama, Florida and Georgia have been fighting in federal court since 1990 over water from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint system. Last year,
The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to an independent review of federal water quality standards for Florida that were adopted last fall. The EPA says nitrogen and phosphorus have caused algae in Florida waterways and toxic red tides along the coast. The federal numeric nutrient criteria replaces a state narrative standard that environmentalists
EPA agrees to study new water standards in Florida Read More »
A proposal by state fisheries managers to increase the daily recreational catch for red drum in North Florida recalls the “redfish wars” of the late 1980s, according to a veteran recreational fishing activist. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Wednesday will consider raising the limit for red drum from one to two in
Commission faces heat for considering increase in redfish catch Read More »
Representatives of 39 utility, development and agricultural groups on Tuesday sent a letter to Florida’s senators and congressional representatives asking them to deny federal agency funding to implement new water quality standards. The industry groups seem to be taking a harder line against the federal standards than some state agency officials. One state agriculture official
Thirty-nine Florida groups seek to block federal water standards Read More »
A bill introduced by the chairman of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee would ban the state from implementing new federal water quality criteria that were adopted in November. Utilities, industries and agricultural groups say the numeric standards will cost billions of dollars to comply with. But an attorney representing environmental groups says
Bill would prevent Florida from implementing federal water standards Read More »
Uncertainty over how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to enforce new water quality standards continues to create wide-ranging cost estimates for meeting the new requirements, a state environmental official said Wednesday. The EPA in December adopted new numeric nutrient standards for phosphorus and nitrogen in Florida waterways. The standards are needed to reduce the
Estimates of federal costs of water rules vary widely, Florida DEP says Read More »
WESTON — Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam at the Everglades Coalition Conference on Friday called for “smart” environmental restoration while the U.S. Interior Secretary announced a federal initiative with landowners to conserve portions of the Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee. Putnam is the first agriculture commissioner to speak at the conference, according to organizers. More than
Environmental groups say this algae bloom in 2009 on a tributary of the St. Johns River was fueled by excessive nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous. A Florida Department of Environmental Protection official on Thursday for the first time sounded a note different from the sharp criticism leveled by state officials and industry representatives towards
Florida DEP credits controversial federal water standards Read More »
In their final meeting before all four members leave office, Gov. Charlie Crist and the Cabinet voted Tuesday to approve the transfer of 29,412 acres of state land to the federal government as an addition to Big Cypress National Preserve. The Cabinet also approved an option to purchase a 2,848-acre conservation easement in Polk County
Big Cypress land deal goes through despite concerns Read More »
