Ocean dumping bill dies in committee (Favors gambling ships off FL)

[seafan]

Ocean dumping bill dies in committee

BY PAUL FLEMMING
FLORIDA TODAY

April 19, 2006

TALLAHASSEE - Day-cruise gambling ships still will be allowed to dump sewage in the waters off Florida's coasts after a Senate committee killed a bill to prohibit such actions.

It's a practice that has environmentalists and tourism interests worried because they say it fouls the state's beaches.

A bill sponsored by Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-Indialantic, and Rep. Bob Allen, R-Merritt Island, would have asked state regulators to seek cooperation from federal agencies that govern U.S. waters between three and 12 miles offshore, and require ships haul waste back to shore for treatment.

snip

"This is a sad day when this is called the Environmental Preservation Committee and they vote against it," Haridopolos said.

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060419/NEWS01/604190393/1006

[ixion]

1. wow... that's pathetic

:grr: :cry: :wtf:

[wordpix]

8. I wonder how much $$$ these Environmental Comm. members were paid for

their votes for dumping raw sewage. Must have been substantial. Florida investigators, follow the money on this one.

[saigon68]

2. Would you like to SWIM in my TOILET?

[WhiteTara]

3. this definitely calls for a writing campaign to

the Florida Tourism board and let them know that we have gone there for years and this was the last time, none of us will ever go there again.:evilgrin:

[file83]

4. Repugs shit on our Constitution AND our coastal waters....nice.

[AnneD]

5. Marine life dies

everywhere else.

[wordpix]

6. I'm surprised rich repugs in FL aren't up in arms. After all, they like

their beaches nice and clean, esp. when they pay millions for shoreline property.

Then again, it's Florida where gambling and drug smuggling are protected by Jebbie. Heaven forbid they should pay to have the sewage treated after raking in millions in profits each week.

Outrageous. :puke:

[wordpix]

7. Aren't there EPA or Clean Water Act regs to prevent this type of dumping?

[seafan]

10. The EPA these days doesn't inspire confidence.

Here is a page from the EPA web site about cruise ships and wastewater discharges, although, oddly, the page doesn't seem too current on information even though the page was last updated on March 30, 2006...

http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/cruise_ships/



And another EPA page:

September 12, 2000
Miami, FL

Public Hearing Transcript on Cruise Ship Water Discharges
http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/cruise_ships/miamihearing.html

It seems like the problems come in at the 3-12 mile swath, and the wonderful members of our state legislature don't want to ask the feds for help there.

[MrPrax]

9. More reasons

why democracy is greater than the 'lobbyists' hired by the People to simply put on some 'democracy' show.

Can't imagine anyone in Florida is really in favor of this one except the directors of cruise ship companies and whoever they 'hired' to watch out for their particular interests.