22 June 2020
Governor Ron DeSantis
400 S. Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Dear Governor DeSantis:
As you move forward with signing legislation into state law, the American Water Security
Project thanks you for your diligence in guiding Florida through the global pandemic and a period of domestic unrest.1 With the economic constraints resulting from these events, your administration faces critical fiscal decisions in balancing the state budget and funding policy-related bills from the legislature. As a bill that will generate additional revenue by holding polluters accountable with higher fines for violations, we respectfully request that you sign the Environmental Accountability Act (HB 1091) into law as part of your policy directive to help recover Florida’s water quality.
The Environmental Accountability Act will help improve Florida’s water quality by revising civil penalties for violations of the following provisions: 1) unauthorized sewage dumping that violates the Clean Water Act, 2) Pollution Discharge Prevention Act, 3) Phosphate Land Reclamation Act, 4) Clean Oceans Act, and 5) Aquatic Preserves & Water Resources. By holding those accountable who consider “polluting as the cost of doing business,” your administration will reduce pollutant discharges that negatively impact Floridians.
Thank you for your leadership in these troubling times, and for your support of legislation that will improve Florida’s water quality.
Sincerely,
Terry Gibson
Government Affairs Director
American Water Security Project
(772) 285-7683
