To the editor:
It's ironic that on the very day the Florida Chamber announced it wants to fight limits on sewage, fertilizer and manure pollution, there's a massive fish kill off Sarasota, Gasparilla Island and Charlotte Harbor caused by red tide fueled by sewage, manure and fertilizer pollution.
The Florida Chamber is playing politics with our public health and that's really sad. The Chamber is ignoring the horrible reality in the water today.
Hundreds of dead fish went belly up in prime tourist areas off Sanibel Island and off Gasparilla Island. The Florida Chamber ought to be looking after all the tourism business affected by toxic algae outbreaks and fish kills like this one. Instead, they are once again doing the bidding of corporate polluters who use our public waters as their free, private sewers."
When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency asked for public comment on proposed limits on sewage, manure and fertilizer pollution, it got 22,000 comments - 20,000 in support of the limits.
Monica Reimer
Earthjustice attorney
