◆ Scott Maxwell: Senators leery of new water standards.
In a state that sometimes treats its water supply like a septic tank, good environmental news is hard to find. But this week, we have some. In a rare show of bipartisanship, state senators from both parties grilled Gov. Rick Scott’s environmental officials Tuesday about why they’re so keen on allowing more cancer-causing agents in the state’s water supply. That’s right … more. Last summer, Scott’s Department of Environmental Protection proposed allowing higher levels of such chemicals as benzene (which can cause leukemia) and tetrachloroethylene (which has been linked to bladder cancer) in the state’s water ways.
It sounded like good news for polluters ... less so for internal organs.
State officials claim the new proposed levels are not only safe, but conservative. And they stress that they’re actually calling for stricter regulation of some other chemicals as well.
But Scott’s record on the environment is about as credible as Cruella de Vil’s is on puppies. And members of the senate’s environmental committee sounded skeptical. Orlando Democrat Linda
Stewart asked if these new levels were being proposed to help frackers or polluters. (State officials said no.) And Tampa Bay Republican
Jack Latvala seemed disgusted that the governor’s environmental commission didn’t have a single environmentalist on it — even though state law said it should have — when the state approved the new standards. (Scott finally put an environmentalist on his environmental board four months after the board voted 3-2 to allow more cancer-causing agents in the water.)
State officials said there was nothing nefarious and predicted that even the EPA would ultimately smile on their new proposed limits.
Maybe so. In the meantime, legislators are right to be skeptical.
And if Scott’s team is really convinced its new water-standards can pass muster, it would send them back to the state’s environmental commission for a vote — now that all the members are actually appointed. Put your clothes back on!
This week’s only-in-Florida headlines: ... “Man charged with arson after burning underwear in Starbucks” … “Two jailed in tampon tossing melee in Port St. Lucie” … “Naked man accused of home break-in just wanted ‘sesame seeds for his hamburger.’ ” I guess sometimes you just really need sesame seeds. Little Marco’s big moment. Florida’s Marco Rubio was the star of this week’s Senate confirmation hearing as Rubio went after Secretary of State nominee
Rex Tillerson on everything
from Russia to Cuba. It was tough and serious talk from a guy who’s desperate to shed the “Little Marco” moniker Donald Trump gave him. And it worked. Pundits on both sides praised the Republican Rubio for his confrontational and contemplative questions. Only now Rubio has a dilemma: How does he vote? His performance certainly seemed staged to suggest he was unsatisfied with Tillerson. So does Rubio vote no (on a committee with 11 R’s and 10 D’s) and doom Tillerson’s chances? Or does he vote yes — and end up looking like all his
tough talk and big bluster was just for show?
Burnt sausage. Perhaps you saw that a fire destroyed the infamous “Sausage Castle” party house this week in St. Cloud. Authorities are calling the blaze “suspicious” ... which maybe makes sense. I mean, the MTV-featured house was famous for parties featuring dwarfs, bikiniclad machine-gunners and a 500-pound man in a diaper. So if the fire was suspicious, it was probably just trying to fit in.
Hugs and slugs. A hug to both Rick Scott and Republican Senate President Joe Negron for their commitments to making higher education affordable and attainable for more Floridians.
Both men released plans this week declaring that a priority. And it’s a worthy one.
A slug to the cities of Longwood, Lake Mary, Maitland, Sanford and Altamonte
Springs for refusing to tell taxpayers how much of their money they are using to subsidize citizens’ Uber rides in the city. Leaders there say they “can’t” say because they signed confidentiality agreements with Uber. Well, here’s an idea: Don’t sign confidentiality agreements! Not when tax dollars are involved. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: If it’s the public’s money, it’s the public’s business. Period.