“Jacqui, you spoke for the water, for the water had no tongue. And with faux righteousness, Florida’s leaders attacked you. God forbid you call out the bad actors…”
LAKE OKEECHOBEE: 14.56 FEET
“We will continue to call out the bad actors.” JTL
http://animals.howstuffworks.com/fish/sharks/shark-feeding-frenzy.htm
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2017/0010
The time is now to fight for President Joe Negron’s Senate Bill 10 to purchase land in the EAA for a reservoir to offset the sometimes toxic, and always damaging, discharges from Lake Okeechobee. The powers that be know the bill is taking some hard hits. They smell blood in the water. Like sharks going in for the kill they are coming from every direction. Just remember, in many instances during a feeding frenzy, sharks turn on each other. So not being a shark myself, I say, “let the games begin…”
Some Major Groups Working Against Negron’s Senate Bill 10.
1. Stand Up For North Florida
http://floridapolitics.com/archives/tag/steve-southerland
http://standupnorthflorida.com/read-our-resolution/
2. Sugar Labor Management Committee
(US Sugar, Fanjul Corp.) (see letter at end of article)
http://saintpetersblog.com/tag/steve-southerland/
2. Martin County Economic Council “Finish the Projects”
Website: https://www.mceconomy.org
Resignation of long time member and co-founder, Bud Jordan, citing USSC influence: http://www.tcpalm.com/story/opinion/columnists/eve-samples/2017/02/24/eve-samples-economic-council-co-founder-resigns-citing-us-sugar/98270284/
3. Pro development, Martin County Commissioner, Doug Smith, only commissioner to vote against SB 10.
http://www.bullsugar.org/one_angry_man
16 County Summit represents agricultural interests and will be hosted by MCBOCC:
http://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/indian-river-lagoon/health/2017/02/21/martin-county-commissioners-propose-16-county-sfwmd-water-summit/98211938/
4. Lake Okeechobee Regional Compact division of Florida Regional Compact:
http://www.floridaleagueofcities.com/resources/florida-regional-compact
http://www.flcities.com/docs/default-source/default-document-library/lake-okeechobee-regional-compact.pdf?sfvrsn=0
5. Glades Lives Matter advocacy group of United States Sugar Corporation
http://www.ussugar.com/news/icymi-glades-lives-matter/
6. Senator Simmons Senate Bill 816 proposing to Raise the Level in Lake Okeechobee. (Destroying the ecosystem around Lake O is not the answer)
http://gladescountydemocrat.com/lake-okeechobee/sb-816-let-lake-okeechobee-rise-19-ft/
7. South Florida Water Management District
https://www.sfwmd.gov/news/statement-re-florida-senate-appropriations-subcommittee-hearing
8. “Save Our Farms/Stop the Lies”
http://save-our-farms.com
9. “Florida Sugarcane Farmers,” a consortium of U.S. Sugar Corp., Florida Crystals and the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida, ran ad arguing against Senate President Joe Negron’s proposal to buy 60,000 acres in the EAA, by Tyler Treadway
http://www.news-press.com/story/news/local/indian-river-lagoon/health/2017/01/13/analysis-sugar-growers-ad-blasts-lake-okeechobee-reservoir-plan/96342032/
Yesterday, a blue-green algae bloom was documented at S-308 just east of Lake Okeechobee/C-44 Port Mayaca, by Kenny Hinkle and Mike Connor: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7CglO2z33E&spfreload=10)
You hear it all the time, and it most things considered, it makes sense: “Flood control…”
The Army Corp of Engineers and South Florida Water Management District “HAVE TO” dump from Lake Okeechobee because when its waters are “too high,” it endangers the people and the farms south of the lake.
But what about us? What the thousands of people who live, fish, and boat along our estuary? Are we protected?
Blue-green algae, cyanobacteria, produces two groups of toxins, neurotoxins and peptide hepatotoxins. Great. Is this what our government should be releasing into our waters? This is a fresh water bacteria and it comes from the lake not the brackish estuary. But after our estuary has been “dumped on” by all the area canals, with an overabundance of fresh water, or an overabundance of water from the lake, the microcytosis can live here!
Disgusting…
Let’s think about this.
The first responsibility for any government is the “health, safety and welfare” of its people. That is my responsibility as an elected official in the Town of Sewall’s Point.
So when circumstances are as they are today, or at least yesterday–and there was documentation of what clearly appears to be a blue-green algae bloom, most likely toxic, on the eastern side of Lake Okeechobee at S-308, am I supposed to remain quiet? I think not, and nor should you.
The ACOE is scheduled to start dumping today. I admit, that the ACOE, SFWMD, governor, and legislature are in a difficult position having to protect one group at the expense of another, but somebody better figure it out.
__________________________
The dumping of blue-green algae in Lake O waters is what led to the toxic “Lost Summer” of 2013, and the fish kills and toxic waters of 2005 in the SLR/IRL.
Microcystis: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcystis_aeruginosa)
ACOE: (http://www.saj.usace.army.mil)