By Lynn Hatter
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-886931.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – The Environmental Protection Agency held its first public meeting last week in Tallahassee on a proposed rule that would put hard numbers on the state's water quality standards. The rule is garnering opposition from businesses and some lawmakers.
The EPA is seeking to cap how much nitrogen and phosphorous can be in the state's rivers, lakes and streams. But businesses in the state's agriculture industry, which are main producers of those minerals, say the limits are too strict and would stall economic growth.
Representative Ralph Poppell says it's not a matter of the state not wanting to comply, it's that it simply can't afford to.
"They don't set out budget. They don't work for us, and we need to be providing job opportunities to generate the revenue to pay for these things. And at a time of this nature, it seems as if that's being taken off the table without giving it any thought."
The EPA's proposal is the result of a 2008 lawsuit concerning Florida's water quality. The state argues that it has been cleaning up its water systems, but the EPA says the pollution is outpacing Florida's attempts to clean up.