Mike’s Plan
Toxic Algae is a problem that has plagued Florida for decades. Today we see the devastation on our environment, evidenced by the large fish kills and the tragic manatee and sea turtle deaths. Now it is affecting Floridians with bronchial disorders.
This 10 point plan is needed to address this critical issue:
1
Minimize water discharge east and west of Lake
Okeechobee.
2
Shore up and reinforce the Herbert Hoover Dike around
Lake Okeechobee so that higher water levels can be
maintained safely.Until this is completed, Florida
should utilize the 1000’s of acres that FL has
purchased over the years from farmers to temporarily
store water.
3
Implement a fast-tracked infrastructure program to
replace failing septic systems with city sewer hookups
or new septic systems in central and northern Florida.
4
Reduce fertilization of residential and commercial
lawns, gardens, and other green areas north of Lake
Okeechobee and in the Orlando area.
5
Make sure all parties to the Everglades Restoration ACT
and Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan are
meeting their obligations.
6
Continue comprehensive monitoring of Big Sugar and other
farms to ensure that the water coming off of every farm
is cleaner than the water going on to the farms.
7
Verify landowners, municipalities, and farmers to
utilize Best Management Practices (BMP) to reduce
phosphorus loads on the Environment. This includes
creating and maintaining large land tracts as water
treatment areas, preventing cattle from “bathing” in
canals, lakes, and rivers through the use of fencing,
and controlling water runoff from manure heavy dairy
farms north of Lake Okeechobee.
8
Elevation of Hwy 41 along the northern edge of
Everglades National Park to allow water to freely flow
south.
9
Utilize the $1.4 billion grant from the US Government to
build a second reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee.
10
Demand our local Federal Representatives secure our fair
share of funding from Washington DC which has held up
many shovel ready projects for decades.