For Immediate Release,
May 19, 2021
Contact:
James Evans, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, (239) 472-2329, James.evans@sccf.org
John Cassani, Calusa Waterkeeper, (239) 633-7274, cassani@calusawaterkeeper.org
As New Algae Bloom Spreads Across Lake Okeechobee, Florida Urged to Set Standards Critical to Protecting People, Wildlife From Harmful Toxins
ST. PETERSBURG,
Fla.― Conservation groups sent a letter today urging Florida officials to set water-quality standards for the harmful toxins in algal blooms that threaten the health of the state’s residents and wildlife.
The request comes after the Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced on May 5 that, even as a 500-square-mile algae bloom is spreading across Lake Okeechobee, it would not set legal limits on the cyanotoxins that make the blooms so harmful.