State Of Emergency Declared Over Algae Blooms
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FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami/NSF) - U.S. Senator Bill Nelson will get a first hand look Thursday at widespread algae blooms which have caused beaches to close in Martin County.
The problem is so bad that on Wednesday, Gov. Rick Scott issued a state of emergency for Martin and St. Lucie countiesy. The order allows the Department of Environmental Protection and the Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission to sidestep state law in order to take actions needed to reduce the spread of the blooms in the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries, located on the east and west side of Lake Okeechobee.
Scott's order also allows the South Florida Water Management District to reduce the flow of water into Lake Okeechobee through additional water storage projects and calls on the federal government to approve permits for the state's dispersed water management programs.
In a press release accompanying his emergency order, Scott blamed President Obama for the water conditions.
"Florida's waterways, wildlife and families have been severely impacted by the inaction and negligence of the federal government not making the needed repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike and Florida can no longer afford to wait," Scott said.
On Tuesday, Martin County Commissioners declared a state of emergency in response to "toxic green algae" after elevated levels of toxins were found June 20 at sampling sites along the St. Lucie River. The county's health department issued an advisory that encouraged people to avoid discolored water or visible blooms.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio is planning to tour the region on Friday.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.