News & Public Affairs
St. Pete residents hear Raytheon's plans to clean up Azalea contamination listen
05/11/11 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Raytheon, Azalea, St. Petersburg, pollution, contamination
Following a long battle from residents, Raytheon finally presented its solution to the groundwater contamination it is charged with leaving throughout St. Petersburg’s Azalea neighborhood. Raytheon officials presented their clean up plan, but some residents are still not satisfied with the response.
The contamination affecting Azalea residents was first discovered in 1991, before it was purchased by a company called E-Systems. But news of the contamination wasn’t made available to reside...
Be the first to commentPlastic flamingos, St. Pete officials unite to fight proposed pro-fertilizer industry law listen
04/07/11 Kate BradshawWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: fertilizer ordinance, Tallahassee, nutrients, waterway health, pollution, 2011 Legislative session, St. Pete City Council, St. Petersburg
In recent years, cities throughout Florida have been banning use of certain fertilizers with the hope of curbing water pollution. Now, the state legislature is pushing through a law that would limit local control over fertilizer use. Today St. Petersburg became the latest city to pass a resolution opposing that bill.
The front lawn at St. Petersburg City Hall went kitsch this morning ahead of the City Council meeting. Dozens of pink plastic flamingos covered the small rectangle of grass. I...
Be the first to commentCongress 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 commentDark Side of Climate Change - NRDC report warns of record hot days and nights listen
09/28/10 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: climate change, global warming, pollution, climate
2010 is on pace to be the hottest year on record. A new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council asks whether the U.S. is facing its “Worst Summer Ever?” because of high temperatures not only during the day, but even at night. Florida temperatures are also breaking records this summer. Daniel Lashof is director of NRDC’s climate center.
[NRDC report: The Worst Summer Ever? Record Temperatures Heat Up the United States](http:/...
Be the first to commentChemicals from fertilizer, household products impact Bay Area water listen
07/08/10 Matthew CimitileWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: pollution, water quality, Groundwater Contamination
Large algae blooms can be the result of excessive nitrogen and phosphorus running off of agricultural fields and lawns into waterways. They deplete oxygen and harm fish, shrimp and other aquatic life. Pinellas and Sarasota Counties have outlawed fertilizers on residential lawns during the summer because of the harmful effect excessive fertilizer use has on the marine environment. Sierra Club representative Phil Compton says Hillsborough must follow suit.
Be the first to comment“Scientists tell us as much as 79...
Florida ranks third in nation for coal power plant pollution listen
11/24/09 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: climate change, pollution, coal, power plants, environment
A new report released today lists Florida as the third worst state for power plant pollution.
The report by Environment Florida is called “America’s Biggest Polluters: Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Power Plants in 2007.”
Sarah Bucci is an associate with Environment Florida.
Be the first to commentNew EPA lead standards may affect East Tampa company listen
08/20/09 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: EPC, EPA, pollution, air pollution
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has revised its lead air quality standard to allow ten times less pollution than previously permitted. Compliance with the new standard may be a challenge for one of the only lead smelters in the country, located in east Tampa.
The board of Hillsborough County’s Environmental Protection Commission met on Thursday in Tampa. [Jerry Campbell](http://www.epchc.or...
Be the first to commentGroup: Crist is slacking off on pollution violators listen
06/05/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Pollution, environment
According to an analysis of state enforcement statistics released earlier this week, the Charlie Crist’s administration’s touted 2007 pledge to toughen anti-pollution enforcement in Florida has been a failure. That’s according to the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.
Doug Tobin, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, was dismissive of the new report.
Jerry Phillips with Florida PEER says that while enforcement records are available from the...
Be the first to commentSt. Pete fertilizer ordinance clears first hurdle listen
03/05/09 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: St. Petersburg City Council, fertilizer ordinance, pollution
St. Petersburg is one step closer to passing ordinances to cut down on fertilizer pollution that runs off into Tampa Bay and other bodies of water.
This morning City Council passed on first reading a modified form of a fertilizer ordinance created as a model that can be adopted by all local governments.
Because nitrogen and phosphorous in lawn fertilizers run off into the Bay and cause algae blooms, fish kills, and other environmental disasters, the [Tampa Bay Estuary Program](http://w...
Be the first to commentEPC considers nitrogen fertilizer ban listen
12/18/08 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Environment, fertilizer, pollution
To cut down on nitrogen pollution entering the region’s water, the Tampa Bay Estuary Program has suggested that local governments forbid their residents from using nitrogen fertilizers on lawns during the summer rainy season. In their meeting this morning, the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission (EPC) heard about why such an ordinance is needed.
To make it easier for local governments to enact these nitrogen fertilizer restrictions, last month the Tampa Bay Estuary Prog...
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