POLITICS

Good: State must get serious about protecting environment

Zac Anderson
zac.anderson@heraldtribune.com
State Rep. Margaret Good, D-Siesta Key, meets with a small group after her town hall on Tuesday. [Herald-Tribune Staff Photo / Zac Anderson]

State Rep. Margaret Good told a crowd gathered Tuesday for one of her regular town halls that she wants to ensure the Legislature takes steps to limit human activity that is feeding red tide blooms.

Legislative leaders are talking about increasing funding for red tide research and technologies to combat the toxic algae blooms. But Good, D-Siesta Key, said limiting nutrient pollution also should be a priority.

“I believe that mitigation and research are important, but unless we talk about prevention, unless we talk about what we are doing to our environment, we are doing everyone a disservice,” Good said.

Roughly 40 people attended Good’s town hall at Suncoast Technical College, and environmental concerns were on the minds of many. Good compared the red tide issue to trying to prevent someone from having a heart attack and needing triple bypass surgery, saying limiting pollution is akin to healthier eating.

Earlier in the day Good attended an event at Mote Marine Laboratory that touched on red tide. Nearly two dozen state lawmakers heard presentations about the recent red tide bloom, with one state conservation official noting that it was among the top five longest blooms in recorded history.

Good said she supports the funding requests from Mote and other scientific agencies for red tide research. But she said the state also needs to do the “hard work” of trying to limit pollution from lawn fertilizers, leaky septic tanks and other so-called “nonpoint” sources.

Good has filed legislation aimed at reducing the use of chemical herbicides on invasive aquatic plants, which results in masses of dead plants that feed harmful algae blooms. She also plans to file a stormwater regulation bill. Lawn fertilizer and other nutrients in stormwater runoff can worsen red tide, which is naturally occurring.

Good said she has been encouraged by some of the early efforts by Gov. Ron DeSantis to address environmental issues, and that sentiment was shared by members of the crowd. One man said he is optimistic “the new governor has an environmental bone somewhere in his body.”

School safety, teacher pay and gun control also were mentioned by more than one audience member.

Good has filed a bill that would expand background checks on gun purchases.

“The law-abiding person is the one who is going to be penalized,” said one audience member.

Good said she takes such concerns “really seriously” but believes more should be done to keep guns out of the hands of people who might be a danger to others.