Florida needs new stormwater rules to ‘protect our most precious natural resource’ |Opinion

There is nothing more important than protecting Florida’s water, especially here on the Suncoast. Last year’s disastrous red tide and blue-green algae outbreak were clear signs that we need to reevaluate the rules governing our water, including how we manage stormwater. Our problems will worsen unless we address the pollution coming from new development and redevelopment.

This week, I filed Florida House Bill 405, which aims to protect Florida’s water by updating our stormwater rules. We must modernize statewide standards if we are going to protect our most precious natural resource.

This is the second year I have filed this legislation. While last year, I was one of the few voices championing this issue, this year, the tide seems to have turned.

Last month, the Governor-appointed Blue-Green Algae Task Force released the first draft of recommendations outlining statewide guidance for improving and restoring Florida’s waterbodies. The Task Force identified agriculture runoff, wastewater and sewage spills and discharges, and stormwater runoff as major sources of nutrient pollutants. Stormwater captures pollutants such as pesticides and fertilizers, animal waste, and oils, which flow into waterways.

Governor Desantis also supports the measure. This past week, his office issued a press release requesting the legislature provide more oversight of stormwater systems.

House Bill 405 would update the stormwater rules for the first time since 1995. Current regulations require clean up of stormwater systems after waters have become polluted, which is expensive and harmful to the environment. Instead, we must create rules that ensure pollutants are minimized as the water moves through the system. The current rules presume stormwater systems that comply with the law do not contribute to poor water quality in neighboring water bodies. However, a survey of 1,200 stormwater ponds in 2013 revealed that almost 99% failed to meet even minimum water quality standards. The legislature must address this issue by requiring testing and mitigation before a significant problem arises.

This is the second year I have advocated for this important environmental policy. We all know the enormous costs of doing nothing. The economic health of Florida, not to mention our citizen’s health, depends on a thriving environment and clean water. Last year, we all felt the economic effects when the summer tourists changed their plans because of the Red Tide outbreak. We were all concerned about the health effects. Parents requested that their schoolchildren not play outside during recess because they were concerned about their respiratory health. Our hospitals and clinics always see an uptake in respiratory patients during Red Tide outbreaks. It’s up to us, as lawmakers, to address these issues. We must deal with the sources of the problem if we want long term economic viability for the state.

Rep. Margaret Good, D-Sarasota, is a member of the Florida House of Representatives.

This story was originally published October 18, 2019 at 1:20 PM with the headline "Florida needs new stormwater rules to ‘protect our most precious natural resource’ |Opinion."