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FDEP PROMOTES FRACKING & WEAKENS OUR PROTECTION OF WATER

floridacleanwater logo222 In: FDEP PROMOTES FRACKING & WEAKENS OUR PROTECTION OF WATER | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River

floridacleanwater logoLinda Young of Florida Clean Water Network has sent the following email regarding the DEP and its failure to protect our drinking water.  Please take action on this because your state “protection” agencies put industry money before the health of the state’s citizens.   They protect the petroleum industry, not our health.  Read on for Linda Young’s informative message:Scroll

Dear Friends of Florida’s Waters:

I have just posted an urgent ACTION ALERT on our website http://floridacleanwaternetwork.org/are-the-koch-brothers-behind-floridas-rush-to-frack/

that makes a case for how and why the Koch brothers could be the driving force behind the Florida Legislature’s rush to frack Florida.  I urge you to read the short piece and take action immediately to stop the Florida Senate from passing SB318, a pro-fracking bill.  Here’s why:

One of the most common compounds found in fracking operations is benzene, a known carcinogen.  Even though fracking chemicals are injected deep underground, surface and groundwater supplies are also at risk since an estimated 10 to 90 percent of fracking fluid is returned to the surface during well completion and subsequent production.

If fracking becomes routine in Florida then every one of us need to be VERY WORRIED.  Here’s why:

In recent years the Florida DEP initiated rulemaking to weaken most of Florida’s water quality standards, including the criteria/limit for BENZENE in our surface waters.  The current limit for benzene in Class I/drinking waters is 1.18 ug/L.  FDEP asked the Environmental Regulation Commission to increase the amount of benzene that can be discharged into our Class I waters to 2.9 ug/L.  THAT IS MORE THAN DOUBLE THE AMOUNT THAT IS CURRENTLY ALLOWED.  For Class II and III (shellfishing, fishing and swimming) waters, the current limit is 71.28 ug/L.  FDEP attempted to increase that to 89 ug/L.

While the ERC rejected FDEP’s attempt to weaken our water quality protections, we can expect FDEP to try this again – soon!!! Will the ERC hold the line again?

If the pro-fracking bills pass in this legislative session, then FDEP will be writing the rules to regulate fracking.  As with all of Florida’s environmental rules, the industry that the rules purportedly regulate will write these rules and FDEP will rubber-stamp them.

Please don’t delay.  Go to our website: www.floridacleanwaternetwork.org and read my latest post. It provides a few talking points for your call. Then call your senator and as many more as you possibly can. This is important and your voice is needed now!  Thank you in advance for fighting for our waters. You can also find the post on our Facebook page.

Linda Young, Executive Director
Florida Clean Water Network
P.O. Box 5124
Navarre, FL  32566
850.322.7978

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