Environmentalists Hope DeSantis Keeps Focus On State’s Waters

In his first State of the State address on Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said he wants to put forth a “bold” vision for Florida.

Environmental groups in the state are hoping he sticks with and expands the commitment he has pledged to improve Florida’s waterways.

DeSantis told lawmakers he wants to earmark about $2.5 billion over the next four years for water resource projects and Everglades restoration.

“Florida is blessed with some of the nation’s finest natural resources,” he said. “The state’s unique natural environment is central to our economy, our quality of life, and our identity as Floridians.”

Democrats said they liked the focus on the environment but said it doesn’t go far enough. In her Democratic response to the address, Senator Audrey Gibson of Jacksonville said the governor’s proposals to rid the state’s waters of algae blooms and red tide “sounds great and is welcome news.” But, Gibson said, most of his proposals aren’t really new.

“The issue is that the water crisis in Florida didn’t erupt overnight,” she said. “It was a process fed by deregulating environmental protections and allowing pollution to flow unchecked over the last few years and will take long-range planning to fix it.”      

Gibson said this includes fully funding the septic tank mitigation plan in the Legacy Florida initiative that was approved by voters in 2014. The plan includes a 50-50 state to local funding for septic-to-sewer mitigation. About 2.6 million septic tanks state-wide would be targeted but the legislature has yet to provide the necessary funding.

DeSantis did issue an Executive Order to re-establish funding for the program but Gibson says more money is needed to help homeowners with the costs.

The changeover from septic tanks has been a longtime concern in northeast Florida. The city of Jacksonville passed legislation in 2016 to team up with JEA to phase out septic tanks allocating $30 million over a five-year period.

Still, many environmental groups are pleased with some of the moves the governor has made since taking office.  St. Johns Riverkeeper Lisa Rinaman said he has made some bold commitments to the environment and his budget appears to back it up.

But Rinaman has some worries.

She says they have concerns that the budget prioritizes south Florida and is not giving enough attention to the issues plaguing the St. Johns River basin and northeast Florida. Rinaman said she wants to emphasize to the new administration that water problems are being experienced statewide.

“Unfortunately, sea level rise and green toxic algae and nutrient pollution, all those things are wreaking havoc on northeast Florida as well,” she said.

The Riverkeeper said while septic tanks are a problem there are other dangers facing the St. Johns, in particular, the practice of sewage sludge disposal on land near the river’s upper tributaries.

A bill (HB 405) was introduced earlier this year by Vero Beach Republican Erin Grail. The St. Johns River Upper Basin Watershed Pollutant Control Program would implement an action plan to reduce and regulate the pollutants in the basin.

In 2007, the Florida legislature banned the dumping of sewage sludge on land in the Lake Okeechobee watershed. Because of that, the state began permitting the biosolids to be dumped in areas with fewer restrictions north of the lake.

According to the Riverkeeper that has led to about 89,000 tons of Miami’s sewer sludge being dumped annually within the upper basin of the St. Johns River.

“We’ve got to have a holistic, comprehensive approach to not only get from septic to sewer but also not allow these harmful disposal practices that are undermining our water quality,” Rinaman said.  

Grall’s bill has been introduced in three house committees. If passed it would go into effect July 1.