When you think of Florida's beautiful beaches, lakes, and rivers, the last thing you want to picture is leaking sewage. But unless we do something now, these waterways will continue to be threatened by leaking septic tanks.
Old septic units, or units installed in unstable soil, present a clear and present danger to the safety of groundwater and other waterways. This pollution threatens the wellbeing of Florida residents, both human and non-human alike. It's time for our lawmakers to take action to clean up this messy problem.
Urge Martin County Commissioners to follow their own plan to stop their septic tanks from contaminating Florida’s waters. Ask Sen. Joe Negron to use Amendment 1 funds for the County’s septic to sewer upgrades to treat the County’s sewage and stop it from fouling Florida’s waters.
Dear Martin County Commissioners and Sen. Joe Negron,
Please step up to the plate, do the right thing and convert your local septic tanks.
Concerned citizens are holding the Martin County Board of Commissioners accountable and urging them to follow their own recommendations to stop local pollution from continuing to foul Florida’s waterways. We are requesting that Florida Senate President-Designate Joe Negron use Amendment 1 funding, approved by 75% of Florida’s voters for environmental restoration, to pay for Martin County’s conversion from septic tanks to sewer systems that will treat the County’s pollution rather than allowing their septic tanks to continue to grossly contaminate the State of Florida’s waters.
The Comprehensive Growth Management Plan adopted by Martin County Commissioners in 2015 states: “Toxic blue green algae blooms in the St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon in the summer of 2013 highlighted the negative impacts caused by excessive nitrogen and other pollutants reaching the County's waterways.” BUT, before the County scrubbed it to sound less damaging, the first draft clearly stated Martin County’s septic tanks are polluting the State’s waterways: “Toxic blue green algae blooms in the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon in the summer of 2013 highlighted the negative impacts of on-site sewage systems.”
Martin County has recognized the solution to stop pollution. We ask that County Commissioners no longer skirt their responsibilities. Martin County must stop using the rural communities south of Lake Okeechobee as scapegoats because Martin County’s leaders and residents are unwilling to pay for the clean up of their own septic sludge that’s ruining Florida’s ecosystem. Even the Glades communities long ago invested in sewer systems and a wastewater treatment facility to do the right thing.
It’s time Martin County and Sen. Joe Negron step up to the plate, do the right thing and fix the septic issue.
[Your comment here]
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
