Florida Currents | Summer Update 2012www.CleanWaterAction.org

America’s Everglades is a globally unique and treasured ecosystem. It is also an incredible economic and environ-mental resource for all of South Florida. The Everglades provides the daily water supply for more than six million people. It supports multi-million dollar tourism and fishing industries, and the Everglades has come to symbolize South Florida’s quality of life.

Restoring clean and abundant water flow to the Everglades is critically important for the health of the ecosystem and for the health of Florida’s economy. Fortunately, local, state, and federal partners are now working together to expedite restoration efforts.

Last October, the US Army Corps of Engineers announced an expedited planning and decision-making process for the next phase of the Comprehensive Everglades Restora-tion Plan (CERP). This new approach means essential water quality improvement and natural water storage initiatives will be completed much more quickly, with the planning process reduced from six or more years down to eighteen months. The process will also include an active stakeholder participation component. On-the-ground results in the form of project groundbreaking and construction are expected in the next five to ten years. This project is called the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP). Concentrating on the ecosystem’s central geographic core, its main focus is on

improving water quality and water storage in the Everglades Agricultural Area in Palm Beach County.

Clean Water Action supports the CEPP initiative and will continue to work with state and federal partners for effec-tive Everglades protection and to ensure that Florida’s resi-dents have a clean, abundant water supply. More informa-tion on CEPP is available at www.evergladesplan.org.

Success for the CEPP process depends on support from local governments. Clean Water Action is working with local counties and municipalities to pass resolutions favoring the expedited planning process. To get involved by having your town council support CEPP, visit www.CleanWater.org/fl or contact Cara Capp, Florida Program Coordinator, (561) 672-7638 or ccapp@CleanWater.org.

ACTION FOR CLEAN WATER

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF inside: Letter from the Director, p. 2 Toxic Coal Ash Threatens Public Health, p. 3

Florida Prepares for Dry Season, p. 3 Make a Difference, p. 3 Fertilizer Ordinances Needed, p. 4 Toxic Reform, p. 5

everglades restoration:Progress and Promise

SummerUpdate2012 Florida currents

Mangroves in the Everglades.

2Florida Currents | Summer Update 2012 www.CleanWaterAction.org

From the Florida Program Director

Kathy Aterno

In recent months we’ve seen progress made in efforts to protect Florida’s water supply, improve water quality, and restore America’s Everglades. State and Federal partners are working together to fast-track several key water quality and storage improvement projects in Central Everglades. President Obama recently pledged $80 million for Everglades restoration to conserve water and protect wildlife habitat.

Clean Water Action is working locally to expand the list of communities to adopt local urban fertilizer ordinances to protect our waters from nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. These are all steps in the right direction and show great promise for the coming months.

Unfortunately, our state still has a long way to go to ensure that pollution from agriculture, use of fertilizers and pesticides, and overdevelopment do not further degrade Florida’s waters, which are the lifeblood of Florida’s economy.

The government, businesses, and the public all have to do their fair share to prevent pollution. We must stop

subsidizing the cost of dirty business, leaving taxpayers with the financial burden of cleaning up the mess after the fact. Consumers must make the right choice to change what chemical products they use in their home and on their land. We need continued movement in the direction of investing in non-polluting, dependable energy supply.

Please don’t sit idly by as decisions are made around you about your future water supply. GET INVOLVED! Contact your elected officials, such as your Mayor, County Commissioner, State Legislator, Governor, or Congressional Representatives and let them know that protecting our water quality is important to you. Our elected officials need to know that we are paying attention to the choices they make every day and that we Floridians are passionate about protecting our water.

Yours for Clean Water,

Kathy AternoFlorida Director, Clean Water Action

Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund gratefully acknowledge 40th Anniversary Sponsorship support from

Aveda,NewBelgiumBrewing,We-Care.com,SurveyMonkeyContribute,and the CleanWaterActionVisa®CardfromCapitalOne®(www.cleanwatercard.org)

Florida Currents | Summer Update 2012 3www.CleanWaterAction.org

More Ways You Can Make a Difference for Clean Water:➤ OnlineActions: Join Clean Water Action online to hold your U.S. Reps and Senators accountable.

www.cleanwater.org/action

➤ MonthlyGiving: Sustain your support for Clean Water Action with an automatic recurring gift.www.cleanwater.org/join/ways-to-give

➤ InternetSearches&OnlineShopping:Generate donations for Clean Water Action with every internet search. Use the “add to search” link on this page: http://cleanwateraction.we-care.com/search

Clean Water Action’s Online Shopping App makes donations for every purchase you make at thousands of online stores. It’s free and automatic. http://cleanwateraction.we-care.com/getstarted

➤ MakeYourOpinionsCountforCleanWater: Sign up for SurveyMonkey. Contribute and each survey you complete means a donation for Clean Water. https://contribute.surveymonkey.com/charity/clean-water-fund

South Florida experienced one of the worst droughts in history in 2011. Experts have predicted that 2012 will bring a similarly severe drought. Though the region has experienced several sig-nificant rain storms so far this year, Lake Okeechobee levels remain relatively low, under 12 feet as of July 2012. The best way to prepare for Florida’s dry season and ensure an adequate water supply is to practice water conservation strategies year-round.

Clean Water Action members can help by being smart about water use and conserving as much as possible. Refraining from watering lawns, taking shorter showers and fixing leaky faucets all add up to make a big difference. Water-saving showerheads and plumbing fixtures, high efficiency washing machines and dishwashers all reduce water use and save money at the same time. Improvements around the home such as re-landscaping with drought-resistant native Florida plants and installing rain barrels to capture rain water for garden use can add to the conservation savings. Remember, every drop counts.

Almost half the nation’s energy supply comes from coal-fired power plants. Electricity from these plants comes with a hidden high price tag, in the form of toxic coal ash. This dangerous byproduct of coal burning pollutes the air, endangers drinking water supplies, and harms local communities. The public bears the costs of dangerous health impacts and contamination problems while the coal industry and electric utilities continue to profit.

Coal ash typically contains such dangerous toxins as arsenic, mercury, and chromium, yet coal ash disposal remains free from federal regulation as long as it is not officially classified as a “toxic substance.” Without regulatory oversight, coal fired power plants are not held to any health or safety standards which would otherwise keep this toxic byproduct contained to prevent air and water contamination. Sixty-five percent of Florida’s coal ash landfills are unlined, unmonitored and uncovered, leaving nearby communities at risk for toxic exposure. At least seven instances of coal ash related contamination of drinking water sup-plies have been reported in Florida so far.

Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund’s forthcoming report, Coal Ash: Florida’s Toxic Trash, highlights significant threats to Florida’s public health and water resources. The report is scheduled for release this fall. Contact Angelique Giraud, Energy Organizer, at (561) 672-7638 or agiraud@cleanwater.org.

florida prepares for dry season

toxic coal ash threatens public health and water supply

4Florida Currents | Summer Update 2012 www.CleanWaterAction.org

fertilizer ordinances needed to protect water supplyThe health and safety of Florida’s water is in serious jeopardy. Excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers in urban areas is contaminating rivers, lakes, and canals and overloading them with nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. High nutrient levels can lead to dangerous green algae blooms that threaten public health, Florida’s economy and quality of life.

Local regulations on when and how fertilizers are used are among the most effective ways to combat this dangerous pol-lution. These local urban fertilizer ordinances set reasonable standards and limitations on:

• types of products that homeowners and business can use for lawn care,

• where these products can be applied, and

• how often.

To date, more than fifty municipal and county governments have enacted urban fertilizer ordinances to safeguard their waters against dangerous nutrient overload.

Martin County is a statewide leader in protecting local water supply, passing its countywide urban fertilizer ordinance in June 2011. The regulation, approved unanimously by the County Commission, prohibits homeowners from apply-ing fertilizers with nitrogen or phosphorus to their lawns through Florida’s rainy season, June 1 through September 30. Eliminating nutrient build-up during the wettest sum-mer months significantly reduces nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in the St. Lucie River. The waterway is a critically important regional environmental and economic resource.

Martin County’s ordinance also prohibits any fertilizer appli-cations within ten feet of wetlands and limits soluble nitrogen applications to one-half pound per 1,000 square feet of land,

regardless of distance to a water resource. Within that limit, at least half of the fertilizers used must be “slow-release,” which keeps nutrient levels more stable instead of flooding the water system all at once.

Through their active water resource protection commitments, Martin County and dozens of other local governments have significantly reduced nutrient pollution’s harmful impacts. However, many of Florida’s canals, lakes and streams face contamination risks until more elected officials take action to end the dangerous overuse of fertilizers and pesticides.

Clean Water Action urges local governments in Southeast Florida — particularly Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade Counties — to enact protective county-wide fertilizer ordinances that set reasonable water supply protection stan-dards. The future of Florida’s water resources, quality of life, and tourism economy depend on it.

Sample ordinances are available from the Florida Depart-ment of Environmental Protection at www.dep.state.fl.us/water/nonpoint/docs/nonpoint/dep-fert-modelord.pdf. Contact Cara Capp, Florida Program Coordinator, at (561) 672-7638 or ccapp@cleanwater.org to get involved.

Algae outbreaks like the one shown here have serious impacts on public health, ecosystems, and Florida’s tourism economy.

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The 2012/2013 school year is fast approaching! Do you know a college student looking for real-world job experience through an internship? Clean Water Action is looking for passionate, responsible individuals to assist with our Florida program and is happy to work with university staff to ensure that students receive college credit for their time and effort. Not a college student? Clean Water Action always welcomes volunteers and community advocates. Please reach out and join our team to help protect Florida’s water. Contact Florida Program Coordinator Cara Capp at ccapp@cleanwater.org or (561) 672-7638.

EarnCollegeCreditWhileProtectingFlorida’sWater!

Florida Currents | Summer Update 2012 5www.CleanWaterAction.org

clean water action and allies demand toxic reform now!Unregulated toxics in consumer and personal care products, including common household products and children’s toys, pose unacceptable risks to health and safety. Getting toxics out of products can also help protect water quality. Preventable health harm includes life-altering conditions and diseases such as cancer, asthma, infertility, learning and developmental disabilities. Children, pregnant women and the elderly face some of the greatest risks.

Federal regulations still fail to protect American families from many of the most dangerous chemicals in use today. The Safe Chemicals Act, championed by Clean Water Action and allies in Congress, would change that. The measure would require the chemical industry to develop and provide information on the health and environmental safety of their chemicals in order to keep them on the market. Families would have the right to make informed decisions about which products are safe to bring into their homes.

Support from Florida’s U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson is needed for the Safe Chemicals Act to advance. Contact Sens. Nelson and Rubio today and tell them that Floridians expect protection from toxic chemicals.

PROTECTOURFAMILIESFROMTOXICCHEMICALS:Clean Water Action staff joined with other environmental advocates, moms, nurses, cancer survivors, and passionate citizens from across the country in Washington, D.C. for the Safe Chemicals Brigade this May. Hundreds of participants gathered on the Capitol Lawn to demand passage of the Safe Chemicals Act.

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Because of you, the Safe Chemicals Act passed the U.S. Senate Environment & Public Works Committee on July 25.

BREAKING NEWS!

More on this victory here: http://blog.CleanWaterAction.org/2012/07/25/a-new-day-for-safer-chemicals/

Florida CurrentsSUMMERUPdATE2012

Clean Water Action is a national citizens’ organization working for clean, safe and affordable water, prevention of health-threatening pollution, creation of environmentally-safe jobs and businesses, and empowerment of people to make democracy work.

Clean Water Action organizes strong grassroots groups, coalitions and campaigns to protect our environment, health, economic well-being and community quality of life.

ManagingEditor:Jonathan ScottPresidentandCEO:Robert WendelgassWriters: Kathy Aterno, Florida Director, Cara Cappdesign: ES DesignReproduction in whole or part is permitted with proper credit.© Copyright 2012 All rights reserved.

National: 1010 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20005-4918 | Phone 202.895.0420 | Fax 202.895.0438 | cwa@CleanWater.org Florida: 7300 N. Federal Highway, Suite 200, Boca Raton, FL 33487 | Phone 561.672.7638 | www.CleanWaterAction.org/fl

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6Florida Currents | Summer Update 2012 www.CleanWaterAction.org