FLORIDA'S SWEET SEWAGE

I thought I would kick off this program entitled My Opinion:

Sludge in the St. Lucie Inlet, 09/12

The trouble with this country is that the government works for the profit of big business, rather than for the good of the country. Sugar farming in Florida is a case in point.

Long ago, in a state where there was no sugar cane farming, water followed the laws of gravity and flowed downstream through the great Lake Okeechobee. From there it was filtered and cleaned as it meandered toward the Everglades. To the coastal lands east and west of the lake, life in the estuaries flourished. In the region where fresh water rivers meet the salty seas, lies the nursery of the ocean – a nutrient rich environment that feeds mangroves, oyster beds, and sea grasses, and supports multitude species of fish and birds.

            Then came the sugar farmers who noticed the rich soil south of the lake. It was almost perfect for growing cane. The lake just had to be dammed. Its water would provide free irrigation. Excess water could be drained sideways if canals were built.

            And so it was. The lake was dammed and the crop was planted. To boost plant growth, fertilizer was liberally sprayed and the harvest flourished. When there was too little rain, the lake provided necessary water. When there was too much rain, the flood gates were opened and polluted water saturated with runoff containing nitrate, phosphate, and cattle manure was shunted sideways.

This brown putrid sludge is a feast for bacteria and algae. The lagoon turns bright green. Bacteria causing red tide multiply,  swimmers get sick, and beaches close. Bacterial and algae blooms deplete the water of oxygen and fish die by the thousands. The insects the fish would otherwise eat, fill the sky. Birds, fish, and mammals exposed to chemical-laden water develop bloody cankers and cancers, or starve to death. Seagrass, oysters, and mangroves, sensitive to fresh water, begin to rot, and the estuary and the life that it supports, slowly dies.

            Currently, fifty-four farm-owners run the sugar cooperative. They donate heartily to election campaigns and their people sit in elected office at the local, state, and federal levels. When legislation arises regarding control of pollution and water flow, no surprise, the vote protects the sugar. On top of that, the owners get subsidies. Since sugar cane from elsewhere is cheaper, it isn’t profitable to grow it here. To solve that problem, taxpayers subsidize the crop. In effect, we pay the sugar industry to pollute our water and kill our estuaries.

            The solution is clear and obvious. Stop growing cane. Remove the dam. Return the flow of water to the south. But no, fifty-four wealthy people stand in the way of the will of 19 million (current population of Florida). And that is what stinks about our government. It does what’s best for industry, even when it harms the country.

            We see this scenario repeating ad nauseum. That’s why I joined the TCPA. We have to get money out of politics. We need our representatives to represent us, not big business.