Sierra Club: Act for the Everglades

Sierra Club Action Alert! Call your state representative now!

Everglades Pollution Bill (HB 7065) gives the sugar industry a free ride. The House Appropriations Committee will vote on this bill at 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 14.

The Sierra Club opposes HB 7065, a bill that seeks to drastically weaken Everglades cleanup standards to benefit the sugar industry.

The ailing Everglades cannot afford delay. Its waters cannot be restored until polluting phosphorus effluent discharged by the sugar industry is cleaned up.

HB 7065 lets the sugar companies off the hook.

-          The bill caps the sugar companies’ share of the $880 million cleanup leaving the bulk on on the shoulders of taxpayers.
-          It does not require the sugar industry to further reduce phosphorus coming off their lands.
-          It doesn’t require the sugar companies to pay their fair share of the rising cost of cleanup and leaves the industry’s meager share at 14 percent of 1994 levels.

HB 7065 jumps the gun.

-          It tries to legalize on the state level a bad cleanup proposal that must ultimately be decided by the Federal Court.
-          It is highly unlikely the Federal Court would agree to this proposal that lets the sugar industry off the hook
-          It is a waste of state resources to pass a bill until a cleanup plan has been agreed to by the Federal Court.

HB 7065 hurts the 7.5 million Floridians who rely on the Everglades for their clean drinking water.

-          This bill allows the sugar industry to pollute in the same way they have been doing for years.
-          It takes away State accountability.

This bill was written for the benefit of the sugar industry. It creates potential conflicts with Federal rules and the Courts and allows polluters to continue their business as usual at the expense of the Everglades and taxpayers.

Take Action!

Check the list below and see if your Representative is on it. Call him or her, then call as many as you can starting with the counties closest to you. Tell the Representatives to vote against HB 7065 to protect the Everglades and the drinking water supply for almost 8 million people.

House Appropriations Committee 2013

Rep. Seth McKeel, Chair                    Polk                        (850) 717-5040     seth.mckeel@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Steve Crisafulli, V. Ch.                Brevard                    (850) 717-5051     steve.crisafulli@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Ben Albritton                              DeSoto                   (850) 717-5056     ben.albritton@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Dennis Baxley                            Marion                    (850) 717-5023     dennis.baxley@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Marti Coley                                Holmes                   (850) 717-5005     marti.coley@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Richard Corcoran                        Pasco                     (850) 717-5037    richard.corcoran@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Janet Cruz                                 Hillsborough             (850) 717-5062     janet.cruz@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Erik Fresen                                Miami-Dade             (850) 717-5114     erik.fresen@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Reggie Fullwood                         Duval                      (850) 717-5013     reggie.fullwood@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Joe Gibbons                               Broward                  (850) 717-5100     joe.gibbons@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Eddy Gonzalez                           Miami-Dade            (850) 717-5111     eddy.gonzalez@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Ed Hooper                                  Pinellas                  (850) 717-5067     ed.hooper@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Matt Hudson                              Collier                     (850) 717-5080     matt.hudson@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Clay Ingram                                Escambia               (850) 717-5001     clay.ingram@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Mia Jones (M)                             Duval                     (850) 717-5014     mia.jones@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Charles McBurney                      Duval                      (850) 717-5016     charles.mcburney@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Marlene O'Toole                          Lake                      (850) 717-5033     marlene.otoole@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Mark Pafford                               Palm Beach           (850) 717-5086     mark.pafford@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Jimmy T. Patronis                       Bay                       (850) 717-5006      jimmy.patronis@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Steve Precourt                            Orange                  (850) 717-5044      steve.precourt@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Hazelle P. Rogers                       Broward                 (850) 717-5095      hazelle.rogers@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Darryl Rouson                             Hillsborough           (850) 717-5070     darryl.rouson@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Cynthia A. Stafford                      Miami-Dade            (850) 717-5109     cynthia.stafford@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. W. Gregory Steube                     Manatee                 (850) 717-5073     greg.steube@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Perry E. Thurston, Jr.                  Broward                  (850) 717-5094     perry.thurston@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Alan B. Williams                         Gadsden                (850) 717-5008     alan.williams@myfloridahouse.gov

Jonathan Ullman, South Florida/Everglades Senior Field Organizer, Sierra Club, 2600 SW 3rd Ave, 5th Floor, Miami, FL 33129