At our most recent membership meeting on June 13, 2023, Nana R. discussed the Clean Water Petition effort. She noted that Florida has the largest acreage of contaminated water in the nation. In The Nation! Eighty-five percent of our springs are contaminated with fecal bacteria and algae blooms! Over half of Florida waters have been declared impaired!
This isn't just about clean drinking water. Water sustains all forms of life. Clean and healthy waters protect and promote human health, safety and welfare, native fish and wildlife, conservation of natural resources, outdoor recreation, aesthetic values, business opportunities, property values, and economic interests throughout the State.
The laws in place to maintain clean water are not sufficiently enforced because special interest, such as big agriculture, have an army of lobbyists in Tallahassee. These lobbyists convince legislators to write permits - permits to pollute!
Nine hundred thousand signatures are needed by November 30. Everyone is asked to help with this effort. Apathy and ignorance, thinking our elected officials will take care of our waters, are problematic and people need to be informed.
Please visit https://www.floridarighttocleanwater.org. Sign and send in the petition, get others to sign and send it in too. With your help, we can bring this initiative to amend Florida's Constitution to the voters in November 2024, so the PEOPLE can decide whether we should hold our State agencies accountable for harm to Florida's waters.
