As Toxic Algae Blooms Erupt On Both Florida Coasts, Gov. Gollum: "Not MY Fault! Not MY Fault!"
With toxic algae blooms now erupting all over Florida — from the St. Johns River to Lake Okeechobee as well as on both coasts — scientists are pointing a finger at one likely fuel source: pollution from leaking septic tanks. There are more than 2.6 million septic tanks in Florida, according to the state Department of Health. But less than 1 percent of them — about 17,000 — are being inspected to ensure they don’t leak.
Scientists say that while leaks from septic tanks may not start toxic algae blooms, leaking septic tanks serve as fuel to keep the blooms going — like pouring gasoline on a fire. In 2010, the Legislature passed a law requiring septic tank owners to get an inspection every five years to make sure they weren’t polluting. But septic tank owners rebelled, and two years later legislators repealed the inspections. The 2012 repeal, signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott, was spearheaded by former Sen. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness. Now, looking at all the algae blooms, he’s not sure that was the right move.
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A long-running Red Tide algae bloom on the state’s west coast has been killing sea turtles, Goliath grouper and manatees in the Boca Grande area. Last week, a North Florida group that monitors the health of the St. Johns River, the St. Johns Riverkeeper, spotted more blue-green algae in the state’s longest river, just south of Jacksonville and also in Brevard County. "Septic tanks definitely play a role in the St. Johns algae equation," said Lisa Rinnaman, whose title is St. Johns Riverkeeper, noting that the dumping on farms of sewage sludge, known as "biosolids," also is a big factor, as is fertilizer in runoff.
The blue-green algae bloom that started in Lake Okeechobee earlier this summer is a repeat of one that caused an environmental and economic disaster on the state’s east coast two years ago. Afterward, a year-long study by scientist Brian Lapointe of the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute found that, while they may not start such blooms, leaking septic tanks feed them more nutrients to keep the bloom going and growing.
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http://www.tbo.com/news/environment/Leaky-septic-tanks-fuel-algae-blooms-Rick-Scott-OK-d-repeal-of-law-aimed-to-prevent-that_170059040
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