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.
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A health advisory for Perdido Bay has been rescinded after bacteria levels returned to safe levels six days after an Emerald Coast Utilities Authority sewer pipe broke, spilling 5.7 million gallons of sewage into wetlands and waterways that flow into the bay.
The ECUA has been conducting water tests during the past few days that show the levels of harmful bacteria in the area where Marcus Bayou meets Perdido Bay are starting to go down, but they remain above safe levels
A health advisory was in effect for Perdido Bay south of Bayou Marcus Creek from Friday until late Wednesday afternoon. The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County rescinded the advisory after another round of test results came in Wednesday.