A Response to Florida Governor DeSantis’ 2021 State of the State Address
FLORIDA, UNITED STATES, May 14, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Here Are 8 Ways That Collusion, Mismanagement, and the Willful Negligence of Florida Government Officials Continue to Endanger Florida’s Coral Reef, Floridan Aquifer System and Florida’s Wildlife in Violation of the Oath to Defend Florida’s Constitution Including the Protection of Florida’s Natural Resources as Stated in Article II, Section 7
SECTION 7. Natural resources and scenic beauty.—
(a) It shall be the policy of the state to conserve and protect its natural resources and scenic beauty. Adequate provision shall be made by law for the abatement of air and water pollution and of excessive and unnecessary noise and for the conservation and protection of natural resources.
#1: Allowing the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District to approve the release of 750 million GMO mosquitos under an experimental use permit despite the unknown and potentially catastrophic effect on Florida’s ecosystem and the State’s billion dollar tourism industry.
#2: Section 338.2278, Florida Statutes, the “Multi-Use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance Program” (now partially repealed), enacted by Governor DeSantis in an “unusual act” prompted by a former Florida Senate leader to construct three toll roads of 330 miles destroying over 50,000 acres of ecologically fragile wetlands and wildlife corridors with no determination of need or financial feasibility.
#3: Allowing eutrophication of Florida’s waterways from human feces and urine waste. Not only has Florida’s Department of Health been on notice for 7 years that its permitting of septic tanks in the drainage basin of the Indian River Lagoon has caused “septic tank leachate”, there are 4 sewage pipes (2 in Broward and 2 in Miami-Dade) discharging 188 million gallons of treated sewage on Florida’s Coral Reef every day. In 2008 the Florida Legislature voted to delay relocation of the pipes until 2025.
#4: Despite the Florida Panther’s protected status under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has yet to deny a permit to “take” (meaning to kill) 18 endangered species including the Florida Panther for the next 50 years under the guise of a “habitat conservation plan”. Citizens are demanding an investigation by the U.S. Department of the Interior into the payment of local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service salaries by a party to the take permit–a group of Southwest Florida landowners called the Eastern Collier Property Owners, LLC.
#5: The Floridan Aquifer System–the most productive aquifer in the U.S.–underlies the entire State, is the sole source of drinking water for over 10 million people (more than 50% of the population of Florida), and is extremely vulnerable to pollution. Yet the Florida Legislature refuses to ban glyphosate-based products. Glyphosate is in 55.8% of autopsied Florida manatees’ plasma.
#6: Although Florida is the only state with a completely Karst geology characterized by high permeability, the Florida Legislature refuses to ban Extreme Oil Extraction methods including acidizing, hydraulic fracturing (fracking), and horizontal drilling. Big Cypress National Preserve is in imminent danger as Burnett Oil from Fort Worth, Texas wants to expand oil drilling in the Everglades and its permit applications have not yet been denied by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
#7: Refusing to discontinue Florida’s phosphate strip-mining industry. Not only does the phosphate industry create sinkholes that have polluted the Floridan Aquifer System with over 200 million gallons of contaminated water, it leaves behind “gypstacks”, mountains of radioactive materials that can reach 200 feet or taller. The 2021 environmental disaster of Piney Point alone has discharged over 215 million gallons of toxic water into Tampa Bay so far.
#8: Allowing the Suwannee River Water Management District to approve a permit application from Seven Springs Water Co. to aid Nestlé with expanding its bottled-water operations in Gilchrist County. It is projected that Nestlé will tap 400 million gallons of water a year from the Ginnie Springs area–directly affecting the Floridan Aquifer System.
HAPPPN.org–Humanitarian Americans for a Peaceful Prosperous Planet Now–believes freedom from collusion and tyranny and working with Nature is essential to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
T.L. Pearson
HAPPPN.org
info@happpn.org
