Hillsborough County Commissioners oppose a plan to pump water from a sinkhole near Thonotosassa as one source to restore flow to the Lower Hillsborough River; meeting as the county’s Environmental Protection Commission Thursday morning, commissioners unanimously voted to ask the region’s water management district for an extension to challenge the permit to pump. And if… Read more »
Residents are asking for a delay in a permit to pump water from a sinkhole located in wetlands near Thonotosassa until other sources of water can be considered; they say pumping water from Morris Bridge Sink to augment freshwater flow to the Lower Hillsborough River could damage nearby wells, cause sinkholes or harm the ecosystem…. Read more »
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) has asked the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for permission to pump water out of the Morris Bridge Sink near Thonotosassa; the DEP has just issued its notice of intent to allow the project to proceed. It’s part of a plan to restore water flow and ecological health… Read more »
By Rob Lorei In October, phosphate mining giant Mosaic reached a $2 billion agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency to settle a lawsuit regarding the mishandling of toxic material at 6 mines in Florida and two in Louisiana. But a local environmental group says the deal does not do enough. Joining us talk about the… Read more »
By Rob Lorei If you’ve been thorough rural areas of Hillsborough, Polk, Hardee, Manatee or Sarasota counties, you’ve probably noticed large mounds of earth dotting the landscape; these are landfills for toxic waste from phosphate and gypsum mining. Last Month, the EPA and the Mosaic corporation,which operates many of the mines, reached a $2 billion… Read more »
This Saturday, October 24 USF St. Pete will be hosting The Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading from 10 AM – 4 PM. It is truly an extraordinary opportunity to meet and hear a plethora of authors – and there is a Q and A after each presentation so you can ask your own questions. The… Read more »
As humans continue to burn fossil fuels and cut down forests, levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have skyrocketed far beyond historic levels; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration began measuring carbon dioxide levels more than 400 parts per million for the first time in 2013. Atmospheric CO2, along with other greenhouse gasses, is causing… Read more »
A month ago heavy rains led St. Petersburg to dump millions of gallons of untreated sewage mixed with stormwater into Clam Bayou. That’s an estuary shared by the city, state and the neighboring city of Gulfport. But the Mayor of Gulfport, Sam Henderson, says it’s an ongoing problem — Clam Bayou is still closed because… Read more »
There are at least three major ways that skyrocketing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are affecting the oceans and species, like humans, that depend on them; you probably already know about soaring temperatures and about rising seas, but scientists discussed the third – ocean acidification – at a roundtable panel Wednesday in Sarasota. Higher concentrations… Read more »
Despite more than 30 residents speaking out during a public hearing that lasted into the afternoon, Tampa City Council made no decisions Thursday on proposed increases in stormwater fees. Like the majority of the citizens who spoke, resident Larry Patterson opposes the rate increases – at least the way they are proposed. There are two… Read more »
If you want a say in how Gulf restoration funds are spent, you have a chance Wednesday night in St. Petersburg; the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council has released a draft of funding priorities using money from the settlement with Transocean after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. The meeting… Read more »
approval rating poll pits presidential candidates aganist fictional characters
Activists oppose gas station on wetlands in Brandon
Citizens demand Florida legislators uphold their duty and pass a budget to properly fund Amendment One
Environment Florida applauds new EPA clean water rule
more than a hundred people came together on Gandy Beach in St Petersburg for hands across the sand.
Tampa Bay seagrass recovers; 40,000 acres most in 60 years
Environmental group journey 900 miles to highlight important ecological areas
Craft beer enthusiasts hook up with environmentalists to call for clean water in Florida
Florida farmers paid by state to store water: conversation with Craig Pittman
The fight to save what is left of the Everglades
A look at the struggle between the feds and Florida for regulation of some state waters
Florida red tide algae fueled by several nutrient sources: Mote scientist
Environmentalists plan to march on Rick Scott’s beachfront home Saturday
Water management district seeks input on minimum water flows and levels
