MORE-VOICES

Gov. Scott leaving state’s environment in worse shape

Ruth-Ann Spinosa and Laura Spears Special to The Sun
Gov. Rick Scott talks to the media after he toured part of the St. Lucie River to access its condition. [AP Photo/J Pat Carter, File}

Like the smelly, deadly algae blooms of Lake Okeechobee in high summer, there is something fishy about Rick Scott’s recent claim of being a defender of our environment. A quick investigation tells a very different story of a governor who has repeatedly put corporate interests, and perhaps his own, above the good of our state.

For instance, with the passage of the 2016 water bill, SB 552, Scott indicated his intention to deregulate critical management of Florida’s water supply, saying that this was “to accommodate our explosive growth and ensure that our state, residents and visitors thrive.” Those deregulatory actions allow increased levels of carcinogenic chemicals like benzene, a contaminant of fracking, into the rivers, lakes and springs that we boat on and in which our kids swim.

Worse, the Miami Herald reported that a BrowardBulldog.org analysis revealed Scott’s financial portfolio, a convenient blind trust, “included several million dollars invested in the securities of more than two dozen entities” that either produced or transported natural gas, like his $325,000 investment in Seadrill Partners, his $528,000 investment in Phillips 66 or his $53,000 investment in Sabal Trail pipeline co-owner Spectra Energy. Just like he did when he testified about being ignorant of his company’s actions in what at the time was the largest Medicare fraud in our country’s history during his reign as CEO of Columbia/HCA, Scott claimed not to know how his finances were invested.

More recently, Scott ignored big ag and the sugar industry's contamination of Lake Okeechobee that led to thick, green sludge covering waterways in south Florida, killing marine life and harming our tourism industry. At this point, it should be no surprise to learn that the sugar industry spent nearly a million dollars on Scott’s last run for governor.

Scott has also stripped enforcement of our weakened environmental protections. He has slashed funding and laid off employees of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, resulting in a dramatic 65 percent reduction in DEP enforcement cases.

He is not only indifferent about the present state of our environment, but actively hostile to the effects of climate change, placing Florida in a position that is vulnerable to predictable rising sea levels, which residents of South Florida are already experiencing, as well as increased storm activity. Topping all of this off was Scott’s Orwellian 2013 ban on Florida state employees using the words “climate change” in any of the educational fact sheets, agency reports, emails or other official communication.

This anti-science attitude is a far cry from our current U.S. senator, Bill Nelson, who is running for reelection against Scott. Nelson has long supported legislation that fights global warming and protects our environment

In the past year, Nelson has voted 100 percent in favor of laws protecting clean water and air. He personally asked the Environmental Protection Agency to review Scott’s deregulation that allowed increases in cancer-causing pollution in our waterways. He also asked Congress for aid in the cleanup of Lake Okeechobee’s algal bloom.

Nelson has long been against drilling off the Florida coast and helped fight for reparations for coastal areas affected by the BP oil spill. In addition, he consistently votes in favor of renewable energies including bills that support solar energy and more energy efficient homes and cars. Most recently, Nelson voted no on a Republican bill that would have exposed our waterways to invasive species. The League of Conservation Voters has given Nelson a 95 percent positive environmental voting record for 2017.

In the Senate, Scott would have the power to not only affect Florida’s environment but our nation’s. How can we vote for Scott, who is leaving Florida’s environment in worse shape than when he took control eight years ago? We must vote for someone who will act to protect our eastern seaboard from the destruction of rising sea levels and a state and national trend toward irresponsible deregulation.

Floridians must preserve our gator-laden swamps, cool springs, and miles of sandy beaches, not only so we can continue to hike, boat and swim in our beautiful state, but to ensure that tourism continues as our primary industry, generating tens of millions of dollars and countless jobs. The choice should be as crystal clear as the spring waters that feed our aquifers.

If we want to protect Florida and our country's environment and ensure our ability to meet the challenge of climate change, we need to re-elect Bill Nelson for U.S. Senate this fall.

This piece was written by Ruth-Ann Spinosa, Laura Spears and other Indivisible Gainesville volunteers.