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2 weeks ago | 
thebradentontimes.com | Glenn Compton |Jackie Llanos |Kimberly Zerkel |Sonja Dümpelmann
Two bills moving through this legislative session would shield owners of former phosphate mines from pollution liability, which will likely encourage development of that land and expose people and the environment to increased radiation risks. Senate Bill 832 and House Bill 585 guts important environmental and public health protections by adopting new exceptions to the “Water Quality Assurance Act”, which holds companies responsible for any damage caused by certain types of pollution.
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3 weeks ago | 
thebradentontimes.com | Glenn Compton |Mitch Perry |Jackie Llanos |Matt Miczulski
Environmental protection is not going to go away. Despite other pressures, the American people still care deeply about the quality of their environment. They care about air pollution, trash and noise in their cities. They care about having natural areas nearby where they can fish and hike. They worry about the toxic chemicals in the factories and fields in which they work. More than ever before, people appreciate that this is the only planet we have.
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Sep 9, 2024 | 
dredgewire.com | Glenn Compton |Lisa Parker
Posted on September 9, 2024 by Glenn ComptonApplied Technology and Management will present their findings to the Sarasota Board of County Commissioners on alternatives to establish a Gulf to Bay Tidal Connection in the vicinity of the former Midnight Pass area on Tuesday, September 10, 2024 (Agenda Item # 33).
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Mar 22, 2024 | 
thebradentontimes.com | Glenn Compton |Dawn Kitterman |Tim Maxwell
According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Notice of Pollution: On 3/21/24, operations staff at the Manatee County Piney Point injection well pretreatment facility became aware of a release of untreated industrial wastewater on the plant site located at Piney Point. The release occurred due to a power loss from a tripped breaker, which resulted in a loss of communications and control at the plant.
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Feb 29, 2024 | 
thebradentontimes.com | Erina Anwar |Glenn Compton |Ariana Figueroa |Michael Moline
Sarasota County is in the process of studying the impacts of sea-level rise and is planning to produce a flooding-vulnerability assessment for the county. ManaSota-88 recommends the following be included as part of the county’s assessment:We are already experiencing the effects of the rise in sea levels. There is a lack of proper planning that will protect the public's safety in the event of hurricane disaster events.
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Feb 23, 2024 | 
thebradentontimes.com | Glenn Compton |Dawn Kitterman |Mitch Perry |Zachary Roth
The 2024 Statewide Emergency Shelter Plan confirms what we already know: Southwest Florida is deficient in hurricane shelters, and it is projected to remain deficient until at least 2029. The Florida Division of Emergency Management is responsible for preparing a Statewide Emergency Shelter Plan (SESP). The SESP serves as a guide to determine the need for new school facilities to be designed and built as hurricane evacuation shelters.
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Feb 11, 2024 | 
thebradentontimes.com | Glenn Compton |Dawn Kitterman |Mitch Maley
The recent removal of mangroves to build a seawall clearly demonstrates serious flaws in Florida’s Mangrove Protection Act. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) issued an exemption to the state’s mangrove protection rules for a seawall in Anna Maria, where a new home is under construction. 116 feet of mangroves were cut down.
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Jan 26, 2024 | 
thebradentontimes.com | Glenn Compton |Dawn Kitterman |Jennifer Shutt |Erik Christian Olstad
State and local politicians have made it very easy to rebuild after hurricane damage so the same historic land development mistakes can be repeated after a storm has passed. Developers have had vast influence on the legislative process for decades, funding political campaigns whose candidates favor less land use regulation and gutting any form of growth management. For example, Rep.
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Jan 19, 2024 | 
thebradentontimes.com | Glenn Compton |Ashley Murray |Dennis Maley |Ali Hickerson
Organizations willing to accept money from phosphate strip-mining companies ensure that such polluters are insulated from criticism by buying their silence on environmentally destructive practices. Environmental organizations should not accept money from polluting industries. Such environmental organizations will likely be discredited if they do so, not only by policymakers and the media but also by their membership.
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Jan 11, 2024 | 
thebradentontimes.com | Glenn Compton |Jennifer Shutt |Craig Pittman |Dawn Kitterman
Oil drilling has placed the Gulf of Mexico, an area of high environmental sensitivity and marine productivity, at risk. Presently, the region supports numerous species of wildlife, major commercial and recreational fisheries, and several endangered animal species. ManaSota-88 supports permanently prohibiting the conduct of offshore drilling on the outer Continental Shelf of the State of Florida.
