We appreciate the work of Editor Nathan Crabbe of the Gainesville Sun. Due largely to him, this newspaper is one of the best as far as working to improve the environment, especially the springs and rivers in Florida’s unique and threatened Springs Heartland.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
jim.tatum@oursantaferiver.org
– A river is like a life: once taken,
it cannot be brought back © Jim Tatum
Do the records of elected officials match their rhetoric on springs?
This session, there are a few positive measures for protecting Florida’s environment along with some significant threats. One bill would implement needed inspections of septic tanks that contribute to groundwater pollution, but another bill would lead to greater pollution from fertilizer applied on farms.
The tricky part is gauging whether even good-sounding bills do enough to protect such natural treasures as North Florida’s springs. State lawmakers take credit when passing environmental legislation that seemed positive at the time, but due to term limits they are long out of office when it becomes clear that little progress was made in reducing the pollution and depletion of springs.
“There is no accountability when it comes to environmental protection,” said Ryan Smart, executive director of the Florida Springs Council. “It’s all feel-good rhetoric and greenwashing.”
I’ll be asking the panelists their opinions on the latest in the legislative session as it relates to protecting springs and other water bodies. One significant piece of legislation, SB 832, would implement some recommendations of the state’s Blue-Green Algae Task Force, including requiring the Department of Environmental Protection to develop a program to inspect septic tanks every five years….
Smart said the legislation represents incremental progress, but another measure advanced by the committee is much worse than SB 832 is beneficial. With much of the pollution impairing springs already coming from agriculture, SB 1000 would allow farmers to apply even greater amounts of fertilizer.
Under the bill, the level of fertilizer used by farmers under so-called Best Management Practices could be set by certified crop advisors rather than experts in the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Smart said the legislation would be “moving us in the opposite direction of what we want to do” to reduce the pollution of springs.
Floridians need to pay attention when supposed springs champions support such legislation — and vote accordingly in the fall. Watch our springs forum to find out more.
Nathan Crabbe is The Sun’s opinion and engagement editor. Follow him at twitter.com/nathancrabbe and facebook.com/nathancrabbe.
