Community | June 15, 2011 | 22 comments

EPA hands over job of cleaning water to polluters

source: http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/epa-hands-job-of-cleaning-water-to-polluters/1175249

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JanforGore
Public health, tourism and the environment in Florida suffered a major loss this week when the federal government put the protection of state waters back into the hands of the very people who have polluted them — big business and its enablers in Tallahassee. In a letter to the state, the Environmental Protection Agency dropped its effort to adopt clean water standards for Florida following 13 years of foot-dragging by state officials. This is either Washington's way to force the state's hand or a decision by the Obama administration not to alienate Florida in the run-up to the 2012 election. Either way, it's a risky game of chicken with a governor and a state Legislature that have shown no regard for the environment and clean water.

A brief history: The federal government told the states in 1998 to limit nutrient pollution in rivers, lakes and coastal areas by 2004 or it would do the job for them. But 2004 came and went. Florida environmental groups sued in 2008 seeking to compel the EPA to intervene under the Clean Water Act. The agency settled the case in 2009 under an agreement it would draft the standards for Florida. After 11 years of stalling, new rules were on the way and expected this year. Then Monday, after howls of complaints from business groups and state lawmakers, the EPA said it would give Florida another chance. The agency did not agree to preapproving any rules or to surrendering its rulemaking authority entirely. But it agreed to give Florida the time to write new clean water standards of its own.

This concession was as close to an all-out surrender as they come, and it's a shame EPA lost its nerve in the face of a massive disinformation campaign. State leaders and business interests hijacked the debate by ponying up inflated estimates for what it would cost to clean up Florida's waters. The EPA agreed to a host of loopholes — exempting entire industrial operations from the clean water rules, creating a waiver process and dragging out enforcement. Still, the state went to court to protect the biggest polluters. For this, Florida gets rewarded with another chance?

continued.
  1. groups:
    Community,   Green,   Earth and Science,   Earth Care,   5 more
  2. tags:
    Environment,  Water,  Pollution,  Florida,  8 more
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22 comments // EPA hands over job of cleaning water to polluters

  • Paratus
    • -2
      Paratus  

    • The EPA as well as the other un-Constitutional agency, BATFE (that bunch of morons should be a convenience store) needs to be downsized and it's mandate carefully monitored and surgically reduced.

    • 11 months ago
  • squarethecircle
  • FoosMaster
    • 0
      FoosMaster  

    • And if the Republicans get their way we won't have to worry about that pesky old EPA anymore and the Rich will again prosper and give us commoners a few jobs.

    • 11 months ago
  • squarethecircle
  • FoosMaster
    • +1
      FoosMaster  
    • squarethecircle:

      So, I assume you think that there is "no need" for protecting the environment.
      Do you think that an unregulated free market will take care of it or that the dangers to the environment are just made up in order for the government to have an excuse to spend money on it?

    • 11 months ago
  • bailey78
  • Joeydee44
    • +1
      Joeydee44  

    • Funny how the Republicans are always worried about our children and grandchildren when they're talking about the deficit but it never comes up when they're talking about the environment.

    • 12 months ago
  • squarethecircle
    • +1
      squarethecircle  

    • I live in FL and have only now heard about this. Last week we had local stories in the news about toxic algae blooms in the Caloosahatchee River. This river flows out of Lake Okeechobee and has been a fertilizer filled environment for some time. Take a peek from Google Earth if you want to see what we can do to a system when we act as if we are not a part of it. Thanks for the news, but I am not surprised. They prove everyday how little we truelly need them. Our turn!!!

    • 12 months ago
  • Dusty_King
    • +1
      Dusty_King  

    • Where are the Grey Panthers??? Lord knows they can raise 10 kinds of holy hell. Besides, if there's any one to be afraid of in Florida it's them. Shit, why the hell why we use our power?

    • 12 months ago
  • supermanrico
    • +2
      supermanrico  

    • Polluters bribed the politicians who approved this stupidity. Money talks in every state and Congress. We need a revolution in this country!!. Your vote doesn't count, it's how much money you have to bribe the greedy politicians.

    • 12 months ago
  • PIANORAMA
  • nikonwilly
  • artemis6
  • JanforGore
    • +3
      JanforGore  
    • artemis6:

      They also just give fuel to crackpots who say the Clean Water Act should be repealed. There is a war going on between those who care about our environment, and those crackpots ( a couple running for president now) who are so radical that they think we should all drink toxic polluted water and breathe in dirty toxic air while our children get asthma. So yes, it is insane.

    • 12 months ago
  • freehit
  • Emucratic
  • JanforGore
  • Milieu
    • +4
      Milieu  

    • If you punish a child every way known for bad behavior and they continue that behavior, then at some point it becomes a waste of time to continue.

      Look at what Mad King George III did in and to Texas while he ruled that locality.

      Do I like it ? No.

      But at some point the people have to do something especially since the Republic Syndicate is under the control of the Insane and Morally Bankrupt and R.S. are in position to stop anything Obama tries to do.

    • 12 months ago
  • JanforGore
    • +4
      JanforGore  
    • Milieu:

      The point is, they aren't even trying, and this has been going on for years.The EPA made this decision when they could have gone the other way. They didn't and it is wrong regardless of who the president is or who obstructs it. It appears that standing your ground based on anything but politics has ruined this country and we are all suffering for it.

    • 12 months ago
  • Milieu
    • +3
      Milieu  
    • JanforGore:

      I agree that much needs to be done but until it is demanded by the people, the Corporations are going to buy any and all state powers they need to buy to block it.

      I re-read the article and I stand by my belief that the push, in this case, must come from the people of Fla.

      Take a look at the most famous pollution case of a river and see how long it was before the people actually did something: 101 years. And even then the people of Ohio had to be Shamed into it.

      "There have reportedly been at least thirteen fires on the Cuyahoga River, the first occurring in 1868.[12] The largest river fire in 1952 caused over $1 million in damage to boats and a riverfront office building.[13] Fires erupted on the river several more times before June 22, 1969, when a river fire captured the attention of Time magazine, which described the Cuyahoga as the river that "oozes rather than flows" and in which a person "does not drown but decays."

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuyahoga_River

    • 12 months ago
  • JanforGore
    • +3
      JanforGore  
    • Milieu:

      Yes but again, the EPA can intervene under the Clean Water Act, and if the people namely the industries involved in the polluting will NOT act, someone has to. Are we going to sacrifice all of our rivers and waterways just because we don't want to criticize the administration because Obama is a Democrat and it is near an election? I'm tired of people doing that frankly. Bush did a piss poor job on the environment and was given a free ride for it, and I'm not much liking this administration's track record on the things that matter either. The Clean Water Act is there for a reason, to be enforced. We don't have a hundred years to wait now.

    • 12 months ago
  • JanforGore
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