News & Public Affairs
How will Florida's battle with EPA over nutrient regulations affect Hillsborough? listen
08/18/11 Matthew CimitileWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: environment, nitrogen fertilizer, phosphorus, EPC, EPA, EPA water standards, pollution
The state of Florida is in a battle with thefeds over water quality. Hillsborough County is affected by the ongoing dispute over regulating nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in Florida.
In 2008, a Florida Department of Environmental Protection report determine that half the rivers and lakes in Florida were impaired because of nutrients. After getting no response from the state for a plan to clean up its waterways, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, imposed numeric limits...
Be the first to commentPinellas County Commissioners discuss water fees and cleaning up waterways listen
08/09/11 Sarah CurranWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Pinellas Board of County Commissioners, Susan Latvala, EPA water standards, EPA, fertilizer
Pinellas County Commissioners discussed a possible water tax decreases for residents at Tuesday morning’s public hearing. They also touched on the issue of next year’s Republican National Convention.
Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) spokesperson Corri Cutler says even though Pinellas and Pasco counties’ general tax fund will increase, residents may see a decrease in their water tax.
Be the first to comment“But what they will see is there won’t be a [Pinel...
Congressional hearings in Orlando on Florida's water pollution standards listen
08/08/11 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: EPA, EPA water standards, Sierra Club, Orlando, UCF, Phil Compton, algae blooms, Tampa Bay
Tuesday in Orlando there will be a Congressional hearing on Florida’s water pollution rules. The federal Environmental Protection Agency has imposed numeric nutrient standards on Florida’s water bodies, but they’re being challenged by some business groups. They’ll be well represented at the hearings called by U.S. Representative Cliff Stearns, which concerns Phil Compton, the Tampa Bay regional representative for Sierra Club Florida.
They are organizing a demonstration outside the Subcommi...
Be the first to commentTampa moves forward on summertime fertilizer ban listen
05/26/11 Kate BradshawWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Tampa City Council, Sierra Club, fertilizer ordinance, fertilizer, EPA, Rick Scott
A state law preventing summertime fertilizer bans goes into effect July 1. Tampa City Council could beat the deadline by taking up the first reading of a fertilizer ordinance next week.
The good news for environmentalists? The Tampa City Council unanimously agreed to discuss a fertilizer ban at the next city council meeting. The bad news? An unrelated workshop item on today’s city council workshop agenda went well beyond its allotted time, so the specifics of the proposal are yet to be det...
Be the first to commentFlorida has no reporting requirements for controversial pesticide methyl iodide listen
05/13/11 Kelly BenjaminWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: methyl iodide, Arysta Lifescience, pesticides, agriculture, farmworkers, public health, EPA
Methyl iodide is a controversial pesticide that has been approved for use in agricultural fields in Florida and California despite vocal opposition linking it to cancer and other ailments. Today is the last day the Environmental Protection Agency will take public comment on use of the chemical. But finding out where and how much methyl iodide is being used in Florida is a difficult task.
The EPA's public comment period on methyl iodide comes at the request of EarthJustice, a law firm wor...
5 commentsSierra Club tests mercury levels in hair listen
05/09/11 Nolan RuarkWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: mercury, EPA, Sierra Club, seafood, Phil Compton, Clean Air Act
Mercury in seafood can cause birth defects. Today the Sierra Club gave Floridians a chance to see how much mercury they’ve taken in lately.
Mercury pollution in seafood is a major concern in Florida, which has a large fishing industry. So when the Sierra Club set up mercury testing at a hair salon in Carrolwood, many showed up to have a lock of their hair cut and tested for mercury. Erin Lennox sat down for a hair cut to look out for her health.
1 comments"I'm g...
League of Conservation Voters releases environmental scorecard for Congress on spending measure listen
03/18/11 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: environment, budget, Congress, Kathy Castor, Bill Young, appropriations, EPA, water, Gus Bilirakis, Vern Buchanan, Richard Nugent
The League of Conservation Voters has released a special edition of its environmental scorecard for Congress on an appropriations measure with two dozen amendments. Alex Taurel is a legislative representative at the League of Conservation Voters.
Be the first to comment"The national environmental scorecard, which the League of Conservation Voters puts out annually, it's been the nationally accepted yardstick to rate members of Congress on environmental, pu...
Congress moves to axe EPA mercury emissions at cement plants listen
02/18/11 Kate BradshawWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: EPA, mercury, waterways, pollution, FDEP, Barack Obama, US House of Representatives
Yesterday, the U.S. House passed a spending bill that would cut funding for the enforcement of certain federal laws. One of them would have allowed the US Environmental Protection Agency to continue enforcing tough rules on toxic emissions at cement plants, including one in the Tampa Bay area.
Late last year, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection slapped international cement manufacturer Cemex with a hefty fine for emitting nearly ten times the amount of mercury legally allowe...
Be the first to commentEPA Tells Florida to Clean Up its Environmental Act listen
12/02/10 Lisa MarzilliWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: EPA, Clean Water Act, Florida
The Environmental Protection Agency is finally forcing Florida to clean up its environmental act. On November 15th the agency announced new state water quality standards. The legislation has raised the ire of industry polluters and has Republican lawmakers screaming “government intrusion” and threatening litigation. Meanwhile, environmental groups are busy trying to counter the barrage of misinformation they...
Be the first to commentEPA holds hearings in Tampa on numeric pollution standards for Florida listen
04/15/10 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: EPA, EPA water standards, fertilizer ordinance
Today, the Tampa City Council passed a resolution asking the Hillsborough County Commission to pass a fertilizer ordinance to reduce the amount of nutrients that seep into the county’s waterways. High levels of nitrogen can cause harmful algae blooms.
A bill moving through the state Legislature would forbid local governments from passing fertilizer ordinances.
Because t...
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