Candidates in Florida must be asked specific environment questions

The current water crisis has illustrated in a painful manner the inextricable connection between the health of our environment to our economic viability as a region and to the health of our families and our community.

With a risk of stating the obvious, the upcoming election is pivotal to our future well-being. Voters should be prepared to ask candidates tough questions about which policies will be embraced in a new state administration.

It is not enough to allow candidates to issue broad statements like “I’m for protecting the environment” or “I support Everglades restoration.” We must go deeper to extract specific policy statements to which the public can hold a candidate accountable after the election.

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida believes the following should be asked of each candidate:

1. Will you support a statewide ban on fracking and other unconventional oil well stimulation treatments? These industrial processes use massive amounts of Florida’s precious freshwater resources for one-time use, before the contaminated water is injected deep underground. Large-scale seismic testing for future oil extraction is being conducted in the Big Cypress Preserve in Collier County.

2. What is your plan for improving state laws and expanding state involvement in local planning to better direct and more appropriately shape growth and development? In the past decade, state regulations and oversight for managing growth have been significantly reduced. Research clearly indicates that the rate of development and conversion of natural lands can negatively affect the flow and quality of downstream waters while also affecting native wildlife.

3. In light of significant public opposition, would you be willing to support abandoning Florida’s efforts to assume the federal Clean Water Act 404 program? Florida is pursuing taking over federal wetlands permitting. Wetlands hold back water and purify it. Given the current water crisis and the threat of future water issues, we must protect existing wetlands to help address water quality and flooding issues. Federal oversight provides a vital nexus to important protections, and has demonstrated stronger wetland protection than the state of Florida.

ROB MOHER, NAPLES Editor’s note: Moher is president and CEO of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.