Toxic Slime and Algae Turning Some Florida Beaches Into Ghost Towns
Citizens to Rally Against Pollution on Sept. 1
Posted August 29, 2013 06:15 am
SEWELL'S
POINT, FL – The thousands of Floridians and tourists
planning to enjoy the last of summer on this Labor Day
weekend will find toxic algae and slime, particularly on
waterways and beaches along the southwest and southeast
coasts of the state.
It's a constant problem, according to local leaders and environmentalists - made worse by heavy rains this summer.
Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch, a city commissioner for Sewell's Point, says the murky, toxic water is driving people away.
"It is like a ghost town, and you're lucky if you see
two or three boats," she laments. "And I mean normally
in the course of a summer you would have hundreds of
boats throughout the course of the day."
This Sunday citizens will rally on Jensen Beach where
dead manatees, dolphins and pelicans are washing up on
the sand.
Environmental groups say it's because of the algae and
slime. A large contributor to the problem, according to
the Earthjustice and other organizations is the
agricultural waste dumped into public canals in central
and south Florida.
Earthjustice attorney David Guest says the
government needs to step up.
"The government knows how to stop this problem by simply
telling the agricultural industry, 'You can't use our
canals unless the pollution is below a specific limit,'"
he says.
Guest adds limiting the amount of phosphorous and
nitrogen waste from manure and fertilizer would have an
immediate impact on the levels of algae and slime and
would not cost any public dollars.
Sanibel Island City Councilman Mick Denham says while
the algae and slime create health and environmental
concerns, it's the impact on the economy that he is most
concerned about.
"It's an economic issue, affecting jobs, affecting
property values," he explains. "This is critical to us.
If we lose the tourism industry, then a lot of jobs are
lost in this area."
According to state officials, tourism has an economic
impact of $67 billion a year, employing more than a
million people.
Photos and links added by the Observer
Photo: Justin Parsons