During far too many years, the Treasure Coast has suffered “Lost Summers” —
summers when toxic algal blooms fouled our waterways, the smell was everywhere,
and families couldn’t safely enjoy the water in their own backyard. That’s unacceptable.
The good news is we’ve made real headway. Because of our work to force the Army
Corps to rewrite the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule, we are in a far better
position heading into this summer than we have been in the past.
That is a big deal for the Treasure Coast.
But let’s be clear: while we should celebrate this significant progress, it does not mean
mission accomplished. We are not done until our community is no longer forced to live
under the constant threat of toxic discharges, unsafe water, and another Lost Summer.
I’m fighting every single day to protect our water, our health, our economy, and our way
of life. To that end, here are a few of the latest updates:
– I just pushed the Local Water Protection Act through committee to secure $200
million every year to help states and local governments combat nonpoint source
water pollution. That’s pollution that doesn’t come from a specific source like a
pipe, so it includes farm and urban runoff that is often laden with phosphorous
and nitrogen that causes toxic algal blooms.
– We also passed the American Water Stewardship Act, which includes
authorization for the National Estuary Program, the South Florida Program and
the Gulf of America Program. Together, these programs will make investments
that are vital for the health of our coastal waterways, fishing, tourism and water-
based recreation.
– Finally, earlier this year, I voted to pass legislation delivering the highest funding
level for Everglades restoration ever passed. More than $450 million this year will
go towards the restoration of South Florida’s ecosystems, with a large portion
being put to use building the EAA Southern Storage Reservoir that is so
important to stopping toxic discharges in our community.
I’ve spent my life defending this country, and I’ll be damned if I let bureaucrats in
Washington, D.C. or special interests bully us into staying quiet in this fight.
I won’t stop until the discharges hit zero permanently and our water is clean. Join me.
Let’s tell them our Florida way of life isn’t up for negotiation: