Civil Lib·er·ty/(definition)
noun
“the state of being subject only to laws established for the good of the community, especially with regard to freedom of action and speech.
individual rights protected by law from unjust governmental or other interference.”
Today I am sharing a report that came out only yesterday and is spreading through social media and news channels like ~ toxic algae…
“Tainted Waters, Threats to Public Health, and People’s Right to Know” is written by award-winning journalist and ACLU investigative reporter, John Lantigua.
After being contacted, Mr Lantigua approached me and many others months ago, traveling and interviewing numerous stakeholders from various backgrounds. He was a consummate professional with an air that only an experienced, savvy, and hard-hitting journalist can attain. I will never forget being interviewed by him at a diner in Belle Glade and saying to myself: “Holy cow, this is the real deal…”
In today’s TCPalm article by Tyler Treadway, Mr Lantigua states: “We don’t typically focus on environmental concerns but getting timely and trustworthy information about a public health issue is a civil right…”
Thank you Mr Lantigua for recognizing the “lack of urgency and transparency” on the part of the state of Florida in reporting information about the 2016 Toxic Algae Crisis caused by the Army Corp of Engineers and South Florida Water Management Districts’ releases of tainted waters from Lake Okeechobee into our St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon.
ACCESS REPORT “Tainted Waters, Threats to Public Health, and the People’s Right to Know,”HERE:
https://aclufl.org/report-tainted-waters-threats-to-public-health-and-the-peoples-right-to-know/
TCPalm, Tyler Treadway:http://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/indian-river-lagoon/health/2017/06/07/aclu-state-failed-public-reporting-dangers-2016-algae-bloom-st-lucie-river/377720001/
Spoke to John this week, Jacqui. Hard-hitting piece for sure. Will the Army Corps and SFWMD have the audacity to actually send another bloom our way given the mounting evidence of the dangers? Sure they will–can’t flood those sugar fields.
We also need to stop Sunbreak farms from getting a permit from FDEP for dumping 20,000 tons of human waste on their land per year. All the efforts to stop the Lake O discharges will be undermined if this goes through.
St Lucie County Commission hearing has been rescheduled to 6pm June 20th.
Also, people need to call the St Lucie County Property Appraiser and tell her that anyone being paid to accept human waste and spreading it in our watershed is not a bona fide farm. The primary use of the property must be farming, not acting us a for-profit dump for phosphorous, nitrogen, heavy metal, pharmaceutical, hormone and illegal drug containing human waste. If she pulls the agricultural tax classification, Sunbreak will lose its protections to do whatever it pleases under the Right to Farm Act.
This is where having a champion of our waterways is so important in the Property Appraisers office. Let Michelle Franklin know we need her to stand up for the people of the Treasure Coast now!
On the picture captions I think you meant “square mikes”, not “square foot”.
Oops sorry, typo, “Square Miles”.
YES! Thank you. Saw that too! Just off by almost half of Lake O.
Nothing cleans water like hydrogen peroxide and calcium peroxide. Carbonic and other acids keep poisons from breaking down (oxidizing) and they end up in the water we drink. Yesterday I saw a porpus swimming under the big bridge on the 192 causeway. It looked like it had a white plastic bag on its head. You could tell it was strugleing to push it through the water. I followed it around the bend to where I get my coquina shells(under water) I could not see exactly what it was doing but I could see its dorsil fin was making frantic short jerks. Then it swam in about 100 foot circles and occasionally I could see a new born porpus.