| Editorial: Right to know |
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Gainesville.com Published: Sunday, February 21, 2010 Florida residents have a right to know if the groundwater under their homes, schools and neighborhoods is contaminated. State Rep. Charlie Justice D-St. Petersburg, is sponsoring a bill that would mandate public notification of groundwater contamination. He cites a Tampa Bay-area case in which residents did not become aware of groundwater contamination in their neighborhoods until 17 years after it had been detected ... and more than a dozen years after the state learned of the pollution. But this week the bill was stalled in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Committee. "Committee members said the bill's requirements expands the role of government and could place a severe financial burden on businesses," reports Florida Environmental News. Huh? Lawmakers actually think it's better to keep their constituents in the dark about potentially dangerous contaminants in their water rather than inconvenience polluting businesses and empower government? That's outrageous. Florida is The Sunshine State, right? Justice's bill is simply intended to ensure transparency in environmental enforcement. It deserves to be enacted into law. |
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