Conservation groups urge EPA to set limits on toxic algal blooms

Share
Algae bloom in Lake Okeechobee
Algae bloom in Lake Okeechobee. Courtesy of Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch (24 June 2018).

Listen:

Five conservation organizations petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency Thursday to set limits on algae bloom toxins. The blooms threaten the health of Floridians and wildlife.

Jason Totoiu is the senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. Growing up on Florida’s Treasure Coast, he says he’s only seen algal blooms get worse.

“Florida has kind of the unfortunate, probably status of being one of the worst- if not the worst – place for harmful algal blooms in America.”

The organizations are seeking standards for what are known as “cyanotoxins”, which are released during an algal bloom. They say such rules are needed to meet requirements of the federal Clean Water Act.

“We want true transparency and accountability, and we think we can get there by having these quantitative standards in place.”

Toxins from the blooms can cause various issues. For humans, effects can include skin or eye irritation. Scientists are concerned about linkage to liver disease. It can also cause aquatic life to leave an area or die.

This week, Pasco County issued a Blue Green Algae alert.

One Response to “Conservation groups urge EPA to set limits on toxic algal blooms”

  1. dje3

    ARE THESE PEOPLE INSANE? We plan to tell nature that it can not do as it wants. If we find that nature does something we don't like we want a Czar to Mae rules that take away rights of people and shut down society,
    Enough of this. We will be seeing a LOT more of it now that the LEFT controls this nation completely.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

  • (will not be published)

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

You may also like

student meal
Next school year Hillsborough public schools are offering free meals

Hillsborough Public Schools are offering students free meals for the...

Correspondence Through Poetry. A Mind-Numbing Week.

Father Verses Sons: A Correspondence in Poems by Herbert Gold...

The sound of change: Music’s influence on anti-war and human rights movements

Throughout history, music has served as a powerful catalyst for...

a man in a tye dye shirt talking on a radio microphone
Recreational pot for Florida is on the ballot this fall—let’s talk about it

In four months, Florida voters have the opportunity to vote...

Ways to listen

WMNF is listener-supported. That means we don't advertise like a commercial station, and we're not part of a university.

Ways to support

WMNF volunteers have fun providing a variety of needed services to keep your community radio station alive and kickin'.

Follow us on Instagram

Surly Voices
Player position: