TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Sinking To An Environmental Low

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 10, 2008

The majority of Floridians get their drinking water from the ground, so it's appalling that some people treat sinkholes, springs and other environmentally sensitive areas as personal dumping grounds.

A recent cleanup project by the Southwest Florida Water Management District shows just how callous some people can be. Nearly 91 tons - 182,000 pounds - of junk and debris were removed from 18 sinkholes and other locations that directly connect to the aquifer and serve as high-recharge areas in Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties.

Instead of taking old sinks, appliances, mattresses and other unwanted goods to county dumps or leaving them for roadside pickup the way you're supposed to, some people violated the land with stealth dumping - one reason, the district says, water quality in area springs has declined.

Of the three-county area targeted for cleanup, none was worse than Pasco County. The great majority of the junk hauled off - an astonishing 83 tons - came from a large sinkhole near Crews Lake in the Shady Hills area. It's a shameful distinction that should prompt county officials to launch a major crackdown on illegal dumping.

By working together, landowners, water managers, local officials and law enforcement officers can reduce this outrageous behavior through aggressive monitoring and strict enforcement of anti-littering laws. Tougher penalties also should await offenders because of the critical importance of groundwater to Floridians' lives and the state's economy.

The only good news coming out of the district's clean-up initiative, which lasted three years, is that it came in way under budget - just under $90,000, when the governing board had appropriated $200,000. Still, the district and local authorities should do everything possible to identify the offenders, prosecute them and get reimbursed for this assault on the environment.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT