Save Florida Dolphins from Their Toxic Home!
- by: Care2.com
- recipient: Florida Senators
Florida county commissioners surrounding the Indian River Lagoon recently initiated a ban on fertilizers that cause toxins to seep into the water and kill the lagoon's dolphins.
But a new bill would undo county efforts to save the dying dolphins. State senators will vote on the bill Monday, February 28.
This bill will deny County Commissioners the right to set their own fertilizer regulations and it will nullify the county fertilizer regulations that have already passed. Under this legislation, fertilizer regulations will be set for the whole state -- and those regulations don't go far enough to save the Indian River Lagoon dolphins.
These dolphins' bodies are found diseased, emaciated and with brain lesions and skin-eating fungal infections from the poisons they must swim in. To save the dolphins, tell Florida Senators to vote NO on this bill and allow counties around the Indian River Lagoon to set their own fertilizer regulations.
But a new bill would undo county efforts to save the dying dolphins. State senators will vote on the bill Monday, February 28.
This bill will deny County Commissioners the right to set their own fertilizer regulations and it will nullify the county fertilizer regulations that have already passed. Under this legislation, fertilizer regulations will be set for the whole state -- and those regulations don't go far enough to save the Indian River Lagoon dolphins.
These dolphins' bodies are found diseased, emaciated and with brain lesions and skin-eating fungal infections from the poisons they must swim in. To save the dolphins, tell Florida Senators to vote NO on this bill and allow counties around the Indian River Lagoon to set their own fertilizer regulations.
Dear Senator,
I am writing to urge you to oppose Senate bill 606. This bill is bad for Florida's waterways because state regulations have been ineffective.
[Your comments will be inserted here.]
Dolphins are suffering because too much phosphorus and nitrogen pollution is washing into their water. Stripping Florida counties of the right to regulate fertilizer pollution hurts our state's economy and is bad for the environment. Our rivers and estuaries, major tourist attractions, are already suffering from pollution -- killing wildlife and driving people away. There are solid economic benefits to allowing counties to continue setting their own fertilizer regulations.
Fertilizer ordinances can be an extremely cost-effective way to reduce nutrient pollution, save taxpayers money, and benefit the economy. When these regulations passed in some areas, Home Depot saw the percentage of fertilizer sales shift from only 2% Florida companies before the regulations, to 70-90% Florida companies after the regulations. Keeping current county ordinances in place and allowing new ones will further benefit local fertilizer companies and the tourist industry.
This fertilizer bill is a major danger to the Florida ecology. These out-of-state made fertilizers poison our waters with phosphorus, which trigger toxic algal blooms, red tides, fish kills and manatee and dolphin die-offs. Tampa Bay's National Estuary Program estimates that 10% to 79% of nitrogen pollution from residential areas is caused by fertilizer. According to the St Johns River Water Management District: source control is the most effective solution to address the adverse ecological and economic impacts of excessive nutrients [phosphorus and nitrogen] on Florida's waterways.
For all these reasons, I urge you to vote no on Senate Bill 606.
Sign PetitionSign PetitionI am writing to urge you to oppose Senate bill 606. This bill is bad for Florida's waterways because state regulations have been ineffective.
[Your comments will be inserted here.]
Dolphins are suffering because too much phosphorus and nitrogen pollution is washing into their water. Stripping Florida counties of the right to regulate fertilizer pollution hurts our state's economy and is bad for the environment. Our rivers and estuaries, major tourist attractions, are already suffering from pollution -- killing wildlife and driving people away. There are solid economic benefits to allowing counties to continue setting their own fertilizer regulations.
Fertilizer ordinances can be an extremely cost-effective way to reduce nutrient pollution, save taxpayers money, and benefit the economy. When these regulations passed in some areas, Home Depot saw the percentage of fertilizer sales shift from only 2% Florida companies before the regulations, to 70-90% Florida companies after the regulations. Keeping current county ordinances in place and allowing new ones will further benefit local fertilizer companies and the tourist industry.
This fertilizer bill is a major danger to the Florida ecology. These out-of-state made fertilizers poison our waters with phosphorus, which trigger toxic algal blooms, red tides, fish kills and manatee and dolphin die-offs. Tampa Bay's National Estuary Program estimates that 10% to 79% of nitrogen pollution from residential areas is caused by fertilizer. According to the St Johns River Water Management District: source control is the most effective solution to address the adverse ecological and economic impacts of excessive nutrients [phosphorus and nitrogen] on Florida's waterways.
For all these reasons, I urge you to vote no on Senate Bill 606.
See more petitions:
You have JavaScript disabled. Without it, our site might not function properly.
By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.
Having problems signing this? Let us know.