Published: Friday, September 19, 2014 at 6:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, September 18, 2014 at 10:49 p.m.

As springs advocates listened Thursday, state environmental scientists tried to explain how a plan to clean up nitrate-polluted Silver Springs would work. They threw out big numbers — for example, 12 million pounds of nitrogen is put on the ground within the half-million-acre springshed annually — and big plans for stemming the steady deterioration of our springs and drinking water.

But in the end, the scientists conceded they just don't know how well the Florida Department of Environmental Protections Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) will work. A big question mark is whether the implementation of agricultural “best practices” that have no sanctions for non-compliance will have enough impact, if any? In the end, the scientists admitted they are not even sure the plan will lead to the springs being cleaned up, let alone achieving the 79 percent reduction in nitrates the agency has set as its goal.

We hear the lip service that Gov. Rick Scott and his administration give to saving Florida's 700-plus natural springs, our own Silver Springs being the most famous of them all. Sure, the state ponied up $30 million for springs protection last week, money that was matched by another $39 million in local and water management district money. But, as we have noted before, the state's five water management districts have said they would need $120 million the first year to get serious about springs restoration.

Certainly we are thankful for what springs funding has been allocated, but it simply is not enough, because when we talk about our springs we are talking about our drinking water. Why do our politicians not recognize that and speak up loudly?

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Not only are most of our local representatives in Tallahassee and Washington not vocal advocates for saving our springs and protecting our water supply, some of them are actually helping to facilitate their further degradation.

When the U.S. House last week voted on H.R. 5078, the disingenuously named Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act, which would take federal authority over wetlands permitting and other water oversight in Florida away from federal officials, our own U.S. Reps. Ted Yoho and Rich Nugent voted in favor of it. It is a horrible piece of legislation that would turn regulatory authority of wetlands and waterways over to state officials, who have allowed our springs, rivers and lakes to become polluted and dying as Scott caters to big corporate donors rather than our water supply in crisis.

Closer to home, state Sens. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, and Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, have shown welcome gumption in pursuing meaningful springs legislation. Our hometown state representatives, however, Reps. Dennis Baxley and Charlie Stone, have been virtually silent in Tallahassee as their colleagues in the House kowtow to the big business lobby and refuse to even discuss water policy reform — even after our own water management district declared Marion County “over-permitted,” that is, overpumped, and Silver Springs was officially designated “impaired.”

Our springs and water supply are increasingly polluted and disappearing. When, we wonder, are our representatives going to quit genuflecting to party bosses and big campaign donors and start speaking up for our interests? This is about water. It's our lifeblood. Represent Marion County!

http://www.ocala.com/article/2014091...ilent-on-water


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