Negron’s Everglades reservoir plan passes in House, heads to governor
WEST PALM BEACH — Environmentalists and growers hailed as a major victory the Florida House passage Tuesday of Senate President Joe Negron’s plan for a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee to filter and feed water to the parched River of Grass.
The House, whose Republican leaders had opposed running up debt through bonding, voted 99-19 on Tuesday to approve an amended version of the bill already passed by the Senate (SB 10), a key priority of Negron, R-Stuart. The bill is aimed at reducing the recurrence of toxic algae outbreaks that have impacted Negron’s district, which encompasses the Treasure Coast and northern Palm Beach County.
The Senate then re-voted on the measure because it had been amended by the House, approving it on a 33-0 vote. The issue had been controversial for much of the legislation session, at least in part because of an initial version’s potential impact on farmland.
“This legislation provides a clear plan to address this plague on our communities in a manner that respects the interests of the agricul- tural community and private landowners,” Negron said.
T h e m e a s u r e i s n o w headed to Gov. Rick Scott.
The initial proposal would h ave d i re c t e d S c o t t a n d the Cabinet to exercise an option from a 2010 agreement signed by former Gov. Charlie Crist and U.S. Sugar that requires the state to purchase 153,209 acres if “willing sellers” were not found.
To make t h e p ro p o s a l more acceptable to farmers, residents and politi - cians south of the lake, the plan was redrawn to lower the costs and the bonding amounts.
With those changes, the focus would be on creating a deeper reservoir on stateowned land. Also, it would support a number of economic development projects in the Glades region, including an expansion at the Airglades Airport in Clewiston and an inland port in western Palm Beach County.
It also would allow Florida to bond up to $800 million — two-thirds the amount pre- viously sought by the Senate — to speed construction of a reservoir, which is intended to help clean South Florida waterways.
The governor’s office Tuesday noted Scott’s support for the water-storage plan, but also that lawmakers haven’t approved his request for $200 million to speed repairs to the dike around Lake Okeechobee.
“Governor Scott has been clear that he supports storage south of Lake Okeechobee in the A2 Reservoir and is glad the Legislature passed a bill which helps address the problems surrounding Lake Okeechobee and benefits Florida’s environment,” Scott spokesman McKinley Lewis said in a statement. “However, this is only part of the solution. The Legislature should include $200 million in the budget to help fix the Herbert Hoover Dike — a project which President Trump has already committed federal funding to.”
T h e p r o p o s a l , w h i c h reflects a number of changes sought by the House and which anticipates the federal government agreeing to pay half the costs for the reservoir, also caps annual state funding at $64 million, down from a proposed $100 million. Get The Post’s complete coverage of the Florida Legislature’s 2017 session,
The annual money and the use of bonding were among several changes hammered out between Negron and House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes.
Negron’s initial reservoir proposal once carried a $2.4 billion price tag when the focus was to acquire existing farmland in the Everglades Agricultural Area.
The proposal now seeks to accelerate plans for the C-51 reservoir — part of a larger ongoing Everglades project effort called the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, or CERP — to clean water that can be sent toward Florida Bay.
Environmental and agricultural groups praised the final version of the bill.
“With the passage of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan’s reservoir, which was approved and au t h o r i z e d by C o n g re s s i n 2 000, t h e l e g i s l a t u r e advances to the Governor the long-awaited and urgently-needed Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir legis- lation for his signature,” the Everglades Trust, led by former West Palm Beach Commissioner Kimberly Mitchell, said in a statement. “Today marks the most significant victory for Everglades restoration in more than two decades.”
“This is a very big day,” Mitchell said.
The House vote also drew praise from U.S. Sugar, Florida Crystals, Florida Sugarcane Farmers and Everglades Agricultural Area Farmers, who all strongly opposed earlier versions that could have required more farmland be taken out of production to build the reservoir.
“Senate Bill 10 has been g re a t l y i mproved, t a ke s e s s e n t i a l l y n o p r i v a t e l y owned farmland and even removes the threat of eminent domain,” said Judy Sanchez, senior director for corporate communications and public affairs for U.S. Sugar.
Florida Sugarcane Farmers said, “While not perfect, Senate Bill 10 will ensure the planned reservoir is eventually completed on existing state-owned land.”