Item O4
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date: April 16. 2003
Division: BOCC
Bulk Item: Yes
No XX
Department: Commissioner Rice. District 4
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval of Resolution of Support to the Florida Legislature to
maintain and support Everglades protections in place through the Everglades Forever Act of
1994, including phosphorus standards recommended by scientists and the State Department of
Environmental Protection, maintaining deadlines contained in the Act, and urge that polluters
be held financially responsible for Everglades cleanup.
ITEM BACKGROUND: The Key West City Commission passed a similar resolution of support
on Tuesday, April 2, 2003.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: BOCC passed a Resolution of Support for
authorization of Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) Projects for 2003 at the
February 2003 meeting.
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES:
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
TOTAL COST:
BUDGETED: Yes
No
COST TO COUNTY:
SOURCE OF FUNDS:
REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes
No
AMOUNTPERMONTH_ Year
APPROVED BY: County Atty _ OMBlPurchasing _ Risk Management _
DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROVAL:
~
(David ~Rice, CommisSioner, District 4)
DOCUMENTATION:
Included X
To Follow~
Not Required_
DISPOSITION:
AGENDA ITEM #--0/
Revised 1/03
Commissioner David P. Rice
A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNTY COMMISSION, MONROE COUNTY ,
FLORIDA, SUPPORTING A TEN PARTS PER BILLION PHOSPHORUS
WATER QUALITY STANDARD FOR THE EVERGLADES; SUPPORTING THE
IMPLEMENTATION DEADLINES CONTAINED IN THE EVERGLADES
FOREVER ACT OF 1994; AND URGING THAT THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR
EVERGLADES POLLUTION SHOULD BE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR
THE CLEANUP; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE
WHEREAS, Monroe County, and the entire Florida Keys economy depend
on a healthy marine ecosystem as the foundation of its two primary industries,
tourism and commercial fishing; and
WHEREAS, Florida Bay and the Florida Keys are the ultimate receiving
bodies of the Everglades watershed; and
WHEREAS, Florida Bay and the Keys' reef depend on clean water; and
WHEREAS, the cleanup of the Everglades and Florida Bay has been the
subject of intense public attention, a federal lawsuit and the largest
environmental restoration plan ever attempted; and
WHEREAS, scientists and the State of Florida agree that the Everglades
require a ten parts per billion phosphorus standard; and
WHEREAS, the residents of unincorporated Monroe County and the
municipalities of the Florida Keys, have been paying for Everglades pollution
cleanup via the property tax on our extremely highly valued homes and
businesses;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNTY COMMISSION OF
MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1: That the ten parts per billion phosphorus standard for the
Everglades is hereby strongly supported.
Section 2: That implementation deadlines contained in the Everglades
Forever Act of 1994 are hereby strongly supported.
Section 3: That it is hereby urged that those responsible for Everglades
pollution should be financially responsible for the cleanup.
Section 4: That the County Clerk is hereby authorized to transmit a
certified copy of this Resolution to Governor Jeb Bush, Representative Ken
Sorensen, Senator Larcenia Bullard and the Florida Legislature.
Section 5: That this Resolution shall go into effect immediately upon its
passage and adoption and authentication by the signature of the Mayor of
Monroe County and the Clerk of the County.
Passed and adopted by the County Commission at a meeting held this
sixteenth day of April, 2003.
Mayor Dixie Spehar
Mayor Pro Tem Murray Nelson
Commissioner Charles "Sonny" McCoy
Commissioner George Neugent
Commissioner David P. Rice
BOARD' OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
Mayor/Chairperson
(SEAL)
Attest: DANNY KOLHAGE, Clerk
By:
Deputy Clerk
AP~-~q-~J 1~2q FROM MUNROe CUUNTY ATTY OFFICE 10,3052923516
Section 4: That the County Clerk is hereby authorized to transmit a
certified copy of1his Resotution to Governor Jeb Bush, Representative Ken
Sorensen, Senator Larcenia Bullard and the Florida Legislature.
Section 5: That this Resolution shall go into effect immediately upon its
passage and adoption -and authentication -by-the signature of the Mayor of
Monroe County and the qlerk of the Co~nty.
Passed and adopted by the County Commission at a meeting held this
sixteenth day of April. 2003.
Mayor Dixie Spehar
Mayor Pro T em Murray Nelson
Commissioner Charles "Sonny" McCoy
Commissioner George Neugent
Commissioner1)avfd -'P. "Rice
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF MONROE COUNTY. FLORIDA
Mayor/Chairperson
(SEAL)
Attest: DANN't KOLHAGE, Clerk
By:
Deputy Clerk
~
DA;;;'_T3'~; --
PAGE 2/2
Apr 04 03 10:42a
Ma~or's Office
305-293-6425
p.2
RESOLUTION NO. 03-126
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF KEY WEST I FLORIDA, SUPPORTING A TEN
PARTS PER BILLION PHOSPHOROUS WATER QUALITY
STANDARD FOR THE EVERGLADES; SUPPORTING THE
rMPLEMD1T~TTON DBADLnms CONTAINED IN THE
EVERGLADES FOREVER ACT OF 1994i AND URGING
THAT THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERGLADES
POLLUTION SHOULD BE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE
FOR "THE CLEANUP; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE
DATE
WHEREAS, Key West and the entire Florida Keys economy depend
on a healthy marine ecosystem as the foundation of its two primary
industries, tourism and commercial fishing; and
WHEREAS, Florida Bay and the Florida Keys are the ultimate
receiving bodies of the Everg~ades watershed; and
WHEREAS, Florida Bay and the Keys' reefs (jiepend on clean
water; and
WHEREAS, the cleanup of the Everglades and Florida Bay has
been the subject of intense-public attention, a federal lawsuit and
the largest environmental restoration plan ev~rattempted; and
WHEREAS, scientists and the State of Florida agree that the
Everglades require a ten parts per billion phosp~orous standard;
and
WHEREAS, the residents of the Florida Keys ~ Key West, have
been paying for Everglades pollution cleanup via the property tax
on our extremely highly valued bomes and business;
Apr 04 03 10:42a
Ma:lor's Of'fice
305-293-6425
p.3
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF KEY WEST, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1: That the ten parts per billion phosphorous
standard for the Everglades is hereby strongly supported.
Section 2: That implementation deadlines contained in the
Everglades Forever Act of 1994 are hereby strongly supported.
Section 3: That it is hereby urged that those responsible
for Everglades pollution should be financially responsible for the
cleanup.
Section 4: That the City Clerk is hereby authorized to
transmit a certified copy of this Resolution to Governor Jeb Bush,
Representative Ken Sorensen, Senator Larcenia Bullard and the
Florida Legislature.
Section 5: That this Resolution~l go into effect
immediately upon its passage and adoption and authentication by the
signature of the presiding officer and the Clerk of the Commission.
Passed and adopted by the City Commission at a meeting held
this I day of April , 2003.
Authenticated by the presiding oLficer and Clerk of the
Commission on April 2 , 2003.
Filed with the Clerk , 2003.
Key West sides with environmentalists on 'UJades standards - Keysnews.com
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FLORIDA fJKEYS
ews.com
Florida Keys Only Dally Online News
Key West sides with
environmentalists on 'Glades
standards
BY GINNY HALLER
keysnews.com
KEY WEST -- The Key West City Commission Tuesday night sent
Tallahassee a message about Everglades restoration: stay on course.
The commission, concerned that a new bill introduced Wednesday in
the Florida legislature might derail Everglades protections already in
place, passed a resolution to support phosphorus standards
recommended by scientists and the state Department of Environmental
Protection, calls for maintaining deadlines contained in the 1994
Everglades Forever Act, and urges that polluters be held financially
responsible for Everglades cleanup.
The resolution will be forwarded to state Rep. Ken Sorensen, state Sen.
Larcenia Bullard and Gov. Jeb Bush. It underscores the link between
the Everglades and Florida Bay, and calls the surrounding waters of the
Florida Keys and Key West the "ultimate receiving bodies of the
Everglades watershed."
The Key West and the Florida Keys "economy depends on a healthy
marine ecosystem as the foundation of its two primary industries,
tourism and commercial fishing," the resolution said.
The Everglades Forever Act said that by 2003 the state had to decide
on numeric limits for the concentration of phosphorus allowed in the
water. Environmentalists and the sugar industry disagree on the limits.
Phosphorus, contained in fertilizer runoff, is an essential nutrient, but
excess amounts kill vital algae and grasses.
http://keysnews.com/360841459473737.bsp.htm
A plan spelling out how much must be removed has already been
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04/03/2003
Key West sides with environmentalists on 'Glades standards - Keysnews.com
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drafted by the South Florida Water Management District and the bill
being written (PCB NR 03-01) by the House panel uses that as its
framework.
The standard in the water management district's plan allows for more
phosphorus in the water than environmentalists want -- 15 parts per
billion instead of the 10 parts per billion the environmentalists are
seeking.
The city commission supports setting the phosphorus standard at 10
parts per billion.
Eric Draper, a lobbyist for Audubon, said he had a copy of the Key
West City Commission's resolution in hand as he attended the two days
of meetings held by the state Natural Resources committee on the new
bill. The committee will decide next week whether the bill will go on to
a full House vote.
"I was really impressed with the resolution passed by the Key West city
commission last night," said Draper. "It is looking better today. If we
really fight, we can fight that bad bill that will weaken pollution
standards. "
Audubon of Florida said the bill is an attempt to circumvent the
Everglades Forever Act and that the sugar industry has deceived
legislators into proposing "a lobbyist-crafted bill" that will throw back
efforts to restore the Everglades.
Not so, said Judy Sanchez the director of communications for The
United States Sugar Corp. in a telephone interview.
"This bill is just an update on the Everglades Forever Act." said
Sanchez. "The environmentalists were in an uproar when the
Everglades Forever Act was enacted because everything is a crisis for
some of these groups. The Everglades Forever Act was a tremendous
step forward for Everglades restoration."
Sanchez said the new bill is a framework for how to get to the ultimate
phosphorous standards. The Florida Department of Environmental
Protection has proposed a rule of ten parts phosphorous per billion of
water, but Sanchez said U.S. Sugar does not believe that science
supports those figures.
The city commission and environmentalists disagree.
"Key West is a long way from Tallahassee," said Nancy Klingener,
Florida Keys program director of The Ocean Conservancy, "but I hope
this message from the south is heard in the Capitol. The Keys are the
ultimate receiving end of the South Florida ecosystem. We depend on
http://keysnews.com/360841459473737 .bsp.htm
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04/03/2003
Key West sIdes with environmentalists on 'Glades standards - Keysnews.com
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clean water for our reef and Florida Bay. Those are the foundations of
our economy, both in tourism and commercial fishing."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
ghaller@keysnews.com
Everglades Forever Act was passed by the Florida Legislature in 1994
and changed the way water was managed throughout South Florida.
What the act does
* Commits the Florida Legislature to the preservation of the Everglades
and the 40,000 jobs created by agriculture in south Florida.
* Make farmers pay "their fair share" of cleaning the water, as much as
$320 million over the next 20 years.
* Takes 40,000 acres of farmland to build filtering marshes to treat
runoff
* Imposes on sugar farmers the most rigorous agricultural
environmental regulations in the United States.
* Establishes a water quality standard fro farm runoff.
* Increases the water flow to the Everglades by 28 percent, returning to
the Everglades water that the South Florida Water Management District
is dumping into the Atlantic Ocean to prevent stormwater runoff.
* Establishes ways to treat urban runoff.
* Requires farmers to spend millions of their own money on special
farming techniques in order to reduce the phosphorus leaving their
farm~ [for example, from fertilizers].
* Says the quantity, timing and distribution of fresh water to the
Everglades and Florida Bay is as important as the quality of the water.
This story published on Thu, Apr 3, 2003
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Page 3 of3
04/03/2003