Gov. Rick Scott wouldn't commit to visiting Martin County to assess toxic algae bloom

Gov. Rick Scott would not commit to coming to Martin County to assess algae blooms in the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon during an event in Jupiter Friday. 

The event, held as part of his U.S. Senate campaign, was about 20 miles south of Stuart, where Lake Okeechobee discharges have carried blue-green algae — toxic in some areas — into the river and lagoon, as they did in 2016 and many previous years. 

Since the algae appeared June 4, at least 15 people have been medically treated for symptoms related to algae exposure, local businesses have closed and outdoor workers are wearing protective masks.

"I've been around the state," was all Scott would say when asked about a Stuart visit. He visited the algae-ridden Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers July 9. 

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Orlando, whom Scott is challenging for his Senate seat, visited Stuart and Fort Myers on July 5.

Scott came under fire in 2016 for never visiting Martin County during the algae crisis. Protesters booed him at the St. Lucie Lock and Dam in 2013, when he met with officials in private and declined to address the public.

State of emergency

Scott cited a state of emergency he declared July 9, which lifted regulations on the Department of Environmental Protection and South Florida Water Management District so they can store and move more water south of Lake Okeechobee, rather than discharging it east and west to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers.

"I'm going to keep doing everything I can," Scott said.

More:Democrats blame Scott for toxic algae blooms 

Scott advocated for using $100 million in state funds for Herbert Hoover Dike repairs and criticized Nelson for voting against increased federal funding. Nelson has said he supports dike repairs, but voted against the budget bill that included that funding.

However, the Army Corps of Engineers has said a stronger dike doesn't mean the lake can hold more water. But the agency promised to study the possibility when the project nears completion, which is scheduled for 2022.

More:Lake Okeechobee algae bloom now 28 percent of open water, NOAA satellite images show

Senate measures

Florida senators this week filed amendments to a major Senate spending bill to increase funding for algae research. 

Nelson's amendment is identical to a bill he proposed in 2017 that would: 

• Give the heads of NOAA and the Environmental Protection Agency the authority to declare a severe algae bloom as a "nationally significant event," which would make federal resources available to those impacted by the outbreak.
• Set aside an additional $110 million over five years for research into the causes/control of large algae blooms and hypoxia, which is when oxygen levels are low, often because of algae, making it difficult for sea life to breathe.

The Senate unanimously passed the bill in September, but it has not been heard in the House. 

More: Sen. Bill Nelson's bill would give algae blooms 'national significance'

If the Senate approves the amendment, the House will have to consider it as part of the budget when lawmakers from both chambers negotiate a compromise. 

“These algae blooms are hurting our environment and our local economies,” Nelson said in a statement. “This bill will help make federal assistance available to the communities hardest hit by these algae outbreaks.”

Sen. Marco Rubio filed a separate amendment to the budget bill that would: 

• Ensure at least $5 million for the EPA to investigate the human health impacts of exposure to harmful algal toxins, and to develop "innovative methods to monitor, characterize, and predict blooms for early action."
• Give the U.S. Geological Survey a minimum of $200,000 to help "understand the mechanisms that result in the presence of toxins in harmful algal blooms." 

Rubio said algal blooms are a growing problem nationwide.

“This amendment ensures that the federal government upholds its responsibilities to understand the potential health impacts on communities affected by Lake Okeechobee discharges as we continue to pursue long-term solutions,” Rubio said.