Both the Florida legislators themselves and observers from outside Florida’s state government point to other major challenges or issues facing elected leaders this session, one being the Safe Waterways Act — Senate Bill 604 — would seem a no-brainer to many, but it’s not turning out that way, so far.
The bill proposes to use one-tenth of 1% of the state’s roughly $4.5 billion environmental budget — about $4.6 million — to warn people with simple signs wherever public waters used for recreation exceed safe counts for fecal bacteria.
Unfortunately, “9,000 miles of rivers and streams are impaired, and a million acres of estuaries are verified fecal,” says John Cassani, the Calusa Waterkeeper. “The clincher: 90% are designated for recreation that could include swimming.”
All they need is a warning sign. But the bill, sponsored by Sen. Lori Berman, a District 31 Democrat from central Palm Beach County, appeared to have an uncertain future in the Environment and Natural Resources Committee chaired by Sen. Jason Brodeur, a 9th-District Republican serving Volusia and Seminole counties.
“Right now, when the oceans become contaminated we give notices to swimmers,” Sen. Berman said. “But there are a lot of other waters and we don’t have the same procedure in place.
“We’re just asking for notification with signage along waters that we know are impaired. But we’re having trouble getting the bill to move forward.”
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