Waterkeepers Florida Letter to the EPA

Waterkeepers Florida, representing all of Florida’s Waterkeepers, wrote to the EPA expressing grave concerns over the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (FDEP) permit modification to a municipal wastewater discharger in the City of Largo. The FDEP violated the Clean Water Act with this permit modification and did not allow for public input.

Waterkeepers Florida outlined the issues with FDEP’s actions in a letter you can read in full HERE.

1. FDEP ignored the TMDL Process and failed to seek input from EPA and other stakeholders.
2. FDEP changed the classification of the receiving waters to not be Waters of the United States.
3. FDEP relies on downstream nitrogen uptake on property not owned/operated by the permittee.
4. FDEP’s NPDES permit modification reflects illegal “backsliding” and sampling location changes.
5. FDEP is excluding public participation in its NPDES Process.

With the change of federal leadership in January 2021, environmental protections should be bolstered and Clean Water Act violations like the one previously mentioned should not be accepted.

To read Waterkeepers Florida’s full letter, click HERE.