What is the issue?
This is in regards to the Environmental Protection Agency's Numeric Nutrient Criteria or Proposed Water Quality Standards for the State of Florida's Lakes and Flowing Waters.
The federal government is poised to impose drastic new regulations for water treatment in Florida that will impede our state's economic recovery, force Florida businesses to cut jobs, and increase the price of utilities, food and other necessities for Florida businesses, families and consumers.
Why would these new regulations be imposed?
The new regulations would not come from new legislation nor be based on sound, peer-reviewed science, but instead would be imposed as a result of a lawsuit filed by the group EarthJustice.
How early could these restrictions be put in place?
These regulations could be imposed by federal Environmental Protection Agency as early as October 2010, as the result of the lawsuit. This deadline is driven by the ongoing litigation between the EarthJustice group, the State of Florida, the EPA and other Florida-based groups.
Will Florida be able to abide by such regulations?
The truth is that the extremely restrictive and one-size-fits-all regulations the EPA is seeking will be impossible to meet. Environmental regulators would measure the concentrations of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous in Florida's most pristine lakes and waterways - and then apply those standards to all water bodies in the state. However, it is generally impossible for water discharged from developed areas with urban, commercial, agricultural and public water utilities to replicate absolutely pristine conditions. That is a simple fact, which the proposed restrictions cannot change.
How much more restrictive would these new restrictions be compared to current regulations?
By way of an example, the newly proposed regulations concerning the acceptable amount of phosphorus in the Panhandle are 14 times more restrictive than the current standard for advanced wastewater treatment. There is simply no economically viable way to meet such stringent standards successfully at this time.
How would these regulations affect Florida's local governments and water utilities?
The proposed regulations could hit local governments especially hard in terms of paying for massive retrofits to drainage facilities and public utilities. There are no planned budgets in place for paying for such retrofits.
Utilities in Palm Beach County alone estimate that the cost simply to continue to store reclaimed water could reach as high as $125 million.
The EPA has a scheduled hearing on Thursday, February 18, 2010 in West Palm for citizens to voice their concerns and comments on the EPA's proposed rule. It is vital that we share our concerns to the EPA. If this regulation is put in place, it will be detrimental to our area.
EPA HEARING:
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at the Holiday Inn Palm Beach Airport
1301 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33405
12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. (this session will begin 1 hour earlier than originally planned)
6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (this session will begin 1 hour earlier than originally planned)
For more information, visit
DONTTAXFLORIDA.com
