Our Water At Risk
Chances are, you've made Florida your home because of the breathtaking environment, great climate and access to abundant lakes, rivers and shore.
Unfortunately, this precious resource that we hold so dear is in big trouble. Industrial and municipal facilities throughout Florida discharge large amounts of toxic chemicals and other pollution into our waters.
This degrades the places we fish and swim, contaminates our drinking water, and threatens our health.
To put a stop to this, we need to strengthen and enforce the laws that protect our health and our beaches, rivers and lakes. Environment Florida and Environment Florida Research and Policy Center are working to do just that.
Restoring waterways
Environment Florida is working to stop the destructive dredging of the Apalachicola River and to restore the Ocklawaha River by dismantling the Rodman Dam.
Strengthening Clean Water Laws
We are working with Congress to reverse a decision by the Bush Administration that exempts thousands of miles of streams and thousands of acres of wetlands form Clean Water Act protections.
We are also urging state environmental officials to strengthen enforcement efforts to stop permit violations, to catch illegal polluters, and to deny them profits from their wrongdoing.
Reducing Pollution
Environment Florida supports full implementation of the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) provisions of the Clean Water Act, which would reduce pollution in degraded water bodies. Issuing permits with lower pollution limits would help Florida achieve the Clean Water Act's goal of zero discharges.
Expanding the public's right to know
Environment Florida believes that public access to information about permit compliance, repeat violators and pollution discharges is fundamental to the proper enforcement of our environmental laws, and a community's ability to protect its quality of life.
