Lynda Bell vs. Clean Water in Miami-Dade. Guest Blog by Cara Capp, Clean Water Action

Katy Sorenson’s presence will be particularly missed this week, as her predecessor pushes forward an anti-water initiative at the Miami-Dade County Commission.

Recently-elected District 8 Commissioner Lynda Bell has struck her first of what will likely be many blows against our clean water supply, sponsoring a resolution to oppose the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s proposed numeric nutrient criteria that would provide statewide protection to our polluted waterbodies.

The EPA was legally mandated to establish measurable pollution standards after environmental groups sued the agency for not properly enforcing the Clean Water Act. The numeric nutrients program seeks to improve water quality by increasing efficiency at sewage treatment plants, managing agricultural runoff, and establishing residential fertilizer ordinances – all at minimal cost to taxpayers.

Bell’s resolution makes blatantly incorrect claims about the EPA’s proposed program, like stating that the County will be under an unreasonable timeline to achieve new water quality standards, and that “the short deadline will require aggressive and extensive modifications to all programs to meet the standards of this new criteria.” Actually, the program clearly states that the extended timeline is set to twenty years. In what universe is two decades considered a “short deadline” for compliance?

And that’s not even the worst of it. This resolution is not a public hearing item, meaning the Commission is railroading this critical issue without an opportunity for residents to comment.

Don’t be silenced on this important decision. Call or e-mail your County Commissioners. Remind them of their obligation to represent your health and future; opposing reasonable pollution standards is certainly not in the public interest.