Sanjay Patel vows to clean up Florida's waters

SATELLITE BEACH — With waves crashing ashore, and Election Day just three days away, Democrat congressional challenger Sanjay Patel hit the beach Saturday to highlight a vital issue he says sets him apart from Republican incumbent Bill Posey: water.

"Last week, in this place where I stand, red tide washed miles of dead fish up on shore," Patel said to about two dozen supporters gathered near the seaweed line at Pelican Beach Park. "Two years ago, a few miles away, 30 tons of fish died in our lagoon. Thirty tons. In the meantime millions of gallons of sewage have spilled into our waterways, sea levels are rising, hurricanes are growing more powerful, algae has bloomed, and toxic contamination of our groundwater right here in Satellite Beach has led to concerns about a local cancer cluster."

Patel's event Saturday came on the heels of support from several prominent environmentalists, several of whom spoke at the event, including representatives from the Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition, the Turtle Coast Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Marine Resources Council and Melbourne Beach Vice Mayor Wyatt Royce Hoover, a Republican.

Attempts by FLORIDA TODAY to reach Posey Saturday for his response to Patel's assertions were unsuccessful.

Water issues have for years plagued Posey's District 8, which includes all of Brevard and Indian River counties, as well as part of eastern Orange County. Algae blooms over the past decade have killed off half the Indian River Lagoon's seagrass. Most recently, red tide last month killed countless fish along Brevard County and Indian River County beaches. That algae feeds off nutrients from sewage, fertilizers and other sources of nitrogen and phosphorus in coastal runoff, issues Patel says Posey has done little-to-nothing to address.

The League of Conservation voters gives Posey a lifetime score of 5 percent, based on how often he voted for issues the nonprofit environmental group supports, Patel notes, and last year, Posey scored 0 percent, according to the group.

The two men have clashed on environmental, as well as most other issues, with Patel calling Posey a "climate change denier." 

On Saturday, Patel echoed that charge. 

"Unlike my opponent, I understand that humans are causing climate change, and that there are steps we can take to mitigate its impact," Patel said. "If we have the science and engineering to send humans to an environment as inhospitable as Mars, surely we can take care of our resources right here at home."

Posey has for years defended his environmental record. He points to his support for the Indian River Lagoon, harmful algae bloom and ocean research. And he fired back recently at Patel's "climate change denier" charge at a debate between the two last month. 

"That's just not a distortion. That's an absolute lie," Posey said of Patel calling him a climate change denier. "I don't know anybody that doesn't believe in climate change. We do have climate change."

In July, Posey introduced H.R. 6270, the National Estuaries and Acidification Research Act (NEAR Act). The bill supports study by the National Academies of Science to examine the impact of ocean acidification and other environmental stressors on bays and estuaries such as the Indian River Lagoon. 

But Patel  criticizes Posey for not supporting bills a decade ago that Patel says could have moved research and solutions ahead on ocean acidification and other environmental issues.

Ocean acidification is the ocean's pH decreasing because of the ongoing uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. That results in more coral bleaching, makes it harder for mollusks to form shells and causes other harmful effects to marine life.

Posey touts his support for the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program. In July, he, along with his Estuary Caucus colleagues, boosted resources used by local estuary programs in the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill. The bill makes $600,000 available to each of America's 28 national estuaries as a base grant. It then provides $1.5 million for a competitive grant program for estuaries with critical needs.

“Many of our estuaries like our Indian River Lagoon are experiencing health challenges and this funding can be used to help address their critical needs,” Posey said in a July press release. “This is an important step in making more resources available to local organizations charged with caring for our national estuaries.”

Posey founded and is co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Estuary Caucus, which he credits for raising awareness in Congress about the importance of the lagoon and the nation's other estuaries. He also sits on the Climate Solutions Caucus, which is exploring economically viable ways to combat climate change.

Posey also has supported the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 2018, which would help communities better prepare for, mitigate and respond to harmful algal blooms such as red tide and the brown tide that has plagued the lagoon.

Patel has criticized Posey for last year voting for H.R.953, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2017, a criticism Patel doubled down on Saturday.

"I can tell you that, unlike my opponent, I will not vote over and over again with the pesticide industry to enable them to spray poison into our waterways without Clean Water Act permits," Patel said.

The bill amends existing federal laws to prohibit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or a state from requiring a federal permit to discharge pesticides from a point source (a distinct place, such as a pipe, channel, or tunnel) into navigable waters if the discharge is approved under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. 

Posey long has blasted excessive federal regulations he sees as harmful to small businesses and the economy.

"Not all regulations are bad, and sometimes new regulations are necessary," Posey's website says. "But overregulation can have a chilling effect on economic growth. Increased costs from regulations put heavier burdens on businesses as business owners spend more to comply with government red tape and less on hiring/rewarding workers."

Waymer is environment reporter at FLORIDA TODAY.

Contact Waymer at 321-242-3663

or jwaymer@floridatoday.com.

Twitter: @jwayenviro

Or facebook.com/jim.waymer

Support local journalism:  Subscribe at floridatoday.com/subscribe