New-Press.com

We need to deal with waste

Editorial

March 17, 2008

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080317/OPINION/803170322/1015/opinion

The discovery of bacteria pollution on Bowditch Beach at the north end of Fort Myers Beach is bad news, but not much of a surprise.

The island community is playing host to an estimated 12,000 spring breakers this month, and hoping for a last surge of good business before the summer slowdown.

Now this. It happened to Sanibel five months ago, when beaches were also closed. This is fecal bacteria, so septic tanks or faulty sewage disposal systems are likely involved-and our decades-long failure to deal with this basic responsibility.

Don't blame this on the farmers. Water laden with agricultural pollution hasn't come gushing down the Caloosahatchee River for more than a year - which helps explain the relative freedom of the river and most of its estuary from algae.

But this outbreak is especially troubling because it comes precisely when these things aren't supposed to happen. Usually, it's summer rains that speed septic drool and animal waste into coastal waters.

By degrading coastal waters, we are degrading a way of life and a critical element in our economy, tourism.

John Albion, executive director of the Greater Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce, said it well: "Our ideal situation hopefully is to not just get through this advisory but get to the root of what's causing these water issues. We are going to fight to get to the bottom of what's causing this. ... It's not just about tourism, it's about the state of the environment, the very reason people come to live here and visit."

State Sens. Burt Saunders, R-Naples, Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, and Gary Aubuchon, R-Cape Coral, are backing legislation that would require the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to find the source of bacteria that closes any Florida beach.

That's an excellent next step.