Federal environmental officials said Tuesday they will not force Florida to update its standards for potable and surface waters. This response comes eight years after environmental advocates petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to prepare and publish revised regulations for the state’s waters. Activists want the feds involved because state environmental officials have not updated the state’s water quality criteria in 25 years.
The Florida Clean Water Network is made-up of about 300 organizations across the state that advocate for clean water. Back in 2009, the group formally requested the EPA set new guidelines for Florida’s drinking and surface waters. That’s because the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has not revised the standards since 1992.
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But Linda Young with the FL-CWN said the state is supposed to update the regulations every three years to reflect the latest science. She said the EPA’s decision not to get involved puts a bigger burden on the public.
“It leaves it up to us to try to make these things happen through the courts and we will continue to pay the price with having to drink contaminated water, fish and swim in contaminated water," said Young. "And in Florida, this is particularly a bad idea because people come to Florida to get in the water, to eat our seafood.”
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The EPA declined to do an interview. But a spokesperson said in an email that when the DEP created a proposal for revised water quality standards last year, it was followed by administrative challenges. Some took issue with the DEP wanting to weaken regulations for cancer-causing chemicals, like benzene.
The EPA said it’s confident the state will submit an updated water quality proposal after it deals with the court proceedings. And as for Linda Young who’s been waiting on the DEP for a couple decades to update state water standards, she said she’s going to speak with water activists across Florida and her lawyer about the next step.
Below is the official EPA response to the FL-CWN petition:
