Polluters Now Have 24 Hours to Tell Public: Gov. Rick Scott

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Waiting any longer than 24 hours to notify the public about pollution events, such as Pinellas County’s Hurricane Hermine-prompted sewage spill into Tampa Bay, is too long.

That’s according to Gov. Rick Scott, who issued an emergency rule Monday that demands notification within 24 hours “by all responsible parties following a pollution incident.”

Scott’s emergency rule went into place immediately, but he’s also proposing legislation that is meant to ensure residents are “kept informed of incidents of pollution that may cause a threat to public health and to Florida’s air and water resources,” according to a media released issued by Scott’s office.

The proposed legislative change will amend current notification rules that only require public notification when pollution moves off the site where it occurs and public health is threatened. In addition, the proposed legislation will increase the fines and penalties for those who violate the law.

“It does not make sense that the public is not immediately notified when pollution incidents occur and that is why I am directing DEP to immediately issue an emergency rule implementing strict requirements for public notification within 24 hours,” Scott said in a statement. “Today, I am demanding any business, county or city government responsible for a pollution incident to immediately tell the public. That is common sense and our residents deserve that.”

The two pollution events that prompted Scott’s action occurred in the Tampa Bay area. The first involved St. Petersburg’s need to dump millions of gallons of partially treated sewage into Tampa Bay after Hurricane Hermine blew past. That action has also prompted increased water testing at beaches throughout Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.

The second incident involved a sinkhole that opened up under a gypsum stack on the Mosaic property in Mulberry. The state Department of Environmental Protection didn’t report the Aug. 27 event to the public for 19 days. During that time, millions of gallons of radioactive water had infiltrated the aquifer as a result of the incident, WFLA reported.

For more details about the new rule, visit the governor’s office online.

Photo via Gov. Rick Scott’s Facebook page