Red tide is back in Sarasota. Buchanan voices support for bill to bolster forecasting
Following official reports of red tide in Sarasota, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan has thrown his support behind a bill that would prioritize forecasting harmful algae blooms.
Buchanan announced that he has co-sponsored the “Harmful Algal Bloom Essential Forecasting Act.” If signed into law, it would allow the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to continue tracking blooms even during a federal government shutdown.
“This is an important safeguard as we learned during the 35-day government shutdown in 2018/19,” Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, said in a Monday morning news release. “Monitoring is essential so we can protect people’s health and take swift action to protect our coastal ecosystem.”
“Water quality is a top priority in our region,” he added. “It becomes even more important when you consider the health and economic impact to our region.”
In recent weeks, the threat of red tide in the Tampa Bay area has been a heightened concern. After a leak was detected in a pond holding contaminated water at the Piney Point former phosphate processing plant, 215 million gallons of that water were dumped into the bay.
Experts and environmentalists say the nutrient-rich water from the pond, which contains nitrogen, phosphorous and ammonia, could be harmful to the marine ecosystem. Those nutrients are key factors that can lead to harmful algae blooms like red tide.
The region’s most recent bout of red tide, which is caused by the Karenia brevis organism, had devastating effects on the region’s tourism economy, wildlife and human health. For humans, the presence of red can cause respiratory irritation.
The Florida Department of Health-Sarasota first reported elevated levels of red tide last week. Fish kills have also been reported in the area. Red tide signage has already been posted at several Sarasota beaches, including Turtle Beach, Siesta Beach, Longboat Key and others.
Sarasota’s red tide doesn’t appear to be connected to the Piney Point leak, but Buchanan has also voiced concern about how that incident would harm Tampa Bay.
“I don’t think it’s just Manatee County. This impacts the region,” Buchanan said during an April 5 press conference about the leak. “I am concerned about the threats to public safety, homes, businesses and, of course, marine life. I’m very concerned about the impact on that.”
Buchanan’s support of the forecasting bill is his latest effort to prevent and study harmful algae blooms. Earlier this year, the congressman introduced the Protecting Local Communities from Harmful Algal Blooms Act that would label algae blooms a “major disaster,” allowing FEMA to provide affected states with monetary and technical assistance.
In 2018, Buchanan also secured $8 million to study the effects of red tide and another $100 million to combat harmful algae blooms.
