New Rule To Alert Floridians Of Pollution Incidents

Florida Governor Rick Scott enacted a new rule requiring that the public be made aware of pollution accidents.

According to WUFT, this new implementation comes after the devastating effects of the Florida sinkhole that caused a massive leak of wastewater into a major drinking water source.

The sinkhole was discovered by Mosaic Co. in late August at its fertilizer plant in Polk County, and reported to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) within 24 hours. However, neither the company nor the agency did not notify the public until weeks later.

According to a statement from the governor’s office, Scott told DEP Secretary Jon Steverson to create an emergency rule that would require the “department, the public and local governments be notified within 24 hours of a pollution incident by the responsible parties.”

Within 48 hours, the public has to be notified of any potential public risks to their health, safety and overall welfare, reported WUFT.

The rule applies to the impacts that pollution could have at both the original site and anywhere else that could be affected.

“It does not make sense that the public is not immediately notified when pollution incidents occur and that is why I am directing DEP to immediately issue an emergency rule implementing strict requirements for public notification within 24 hours.” Scott said in the statement. “Today, I am demanding any business, county or city government responsible for a pollution incident to immediately tell the public. That is common sense and our residents deserve that.”

Scott added that while DEP was on-site to investigate the situation at Mosaic in less than 24 hours and followed the current Florida laws, the laws are outdated and “must immediately be changed.”

For similar stories visit Water Online’s Source Water Contamination Solutions Center.