BREAKING NEWS

01/15/10

Don't Tax Florida coalition reacts to water announcement
U.S. EPA announces new water regulations

Today the U.S. EPA announced new water regulations that would apply to Florida and only Florida. (To review the new regulations, visit http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/rules/florida). In response, the more than 75 businesses, associations and concerned citizens representing the Don't Tax Florida coalition issued the following joint statement. Read full article.

WASHINGTON: STOP THE WATER TAX ON FLORIDA

• Unfair, applies only to Florida

• Punishes a national leader in water clean up

• Driven by lawyers, not sound science

• Requires Florida to clean up other states' discharge

Raises typical sewer bill by $62 a month / $740 a year

ISSUE: A potential federal water tax on Florida and only Florida?

The federal government is poised to impose drastic new regulations for water treatment in Florida that will impede our state's economic recovery, force Florida businesses to cut jobs, and increase the price of utilities, food and other necessities for Florida businesses, families and consumers.

This is in effect a unilateral water tax being imposed by the federal government on Florida that will devastate our economy and kill jobs Floridians badly need. This is the result of a lawsuit leveled against the US Environmental Protection Agency by environmental activists demanding that numerical nutrient criteria be set for Florida, and only Florida.

These one-size-fits-all, litigation driven requirements have no scientific basis and would force utilities to increase wastewater rates by 100 percent. Total capital costs of meeting the EPA's requirements that will be passed on to Florida's families could reach into the billions.