Environmentalists say they'll appeal a federal judge's ruling that affirms state limits on pollutants in Florida waterways. They say the limits are too vague and favor polluters.
In his ruling, Judge Robert Hinkle agreed with the Environmental Protection Agency that the state limits satisfy the Clean Water Act. It's the latest in decades of litigation over Florida's polluted waterways.
Frank Jackalone of the Sierra Club says environmentalists also plan to take the issue to the Legislature."We've had a record number of manatees that have died this year in our coastal areas, and no area was hit harder than the Indian River Lagoon", Jackalone said. "But it's not only the Indian River Lagoon. It's springs and rivers throughout the state of Florida that are dying."
Nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus flowing from septic tanks, fertilized lawns and farms have been linked to toxic algae and red tides in Florida's waterways.
The state Department of Environmental Protection says state limits on nutrients are the most comprehensive in the nation. But environmentalists liken the so called "narrative limits" with speed limits prohibiting drivers from "driving too fast" rather than over 70 miles an hour. They want numeric limits.