Save the Date: International Coastal Cleanup Day

Join the Surfrider Foundation on September 17th for International Coastal Cleanup Day! Last year, volunteers across the world cleaned up over 18 million pounds of trash!

Florida’s Carcinogenic Waters

The Surfrider Foundation is opposed the the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s proposed Human Health Based Water Quality Criteria. The criteria decreases protection for Florida’s most vulnerable by increasing allowable levels of carcinogens and chemicals in our surface waters.

Take action by contacting the EPA TODAY! Ask the EPA to:

1. Please hold multiple hearings and opportunities for public comment across Florida. The proposed revisions to Florida’s Human Health-Based Water Quality Criteria have far reaching impacts, and as such, are deserving of adequate forethought and deliberation.
2. Regardless of the risk assessment method utilized, please direct the FDEP to adopt the most stringent criteria for Florida’s human health-based water quality criteria. It is unacceptable that Florida is increasing allowable levels of over two dozen chemicals.
3. Please utilize Florida-specific seafood consumption data. Floridians eat large qualities of locally caught seafood- much more than the national average. Utilizing the best available data for fish consumption rates will help protect more Floridians.
4. Email the EPA here: floridahhc@epa.gov

Click here to read the Surfrider Foundation’s full comments to the FDEP and the ERC.

Click here to read a letter from Florida lawmakers to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.

Save the Date: Florida Chapter Conference

Save the Date: The Florida Chapter Conference will be held in St. Petersburg at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront, November 4th-6th. Stay tuned for registration details!

What: Surfrider Foundation Florida Chapter Conference
When: Nov. 4th-6th, 2016
Who: All current Surfrider Foundation members!
How: Registration open on ChapterNET August 1st

April Volunteer of the Month

Congratulations to our April Volunteer of the Month, Marilu Christina Flores! Marilu currently serves as the Treasurer of the Miami Chapter- but does much more than crunch numbers and keep the books! Miami Chapter Chair Jayson Koch writes,

“Since Marilu relocated back to Miami in 2015 from Vermont, she has taken on the Surfrider Miami Treasurer role and overall, has gone above and beyond! Marilu attends all Surfrider events- most of which she was also a key lead in planning and executed advance work and detail. She is a fearless fundraiser and is always eager to ask local businesses for donations or support for the Miami Chapter. In November 2015, Marilu worked with Volcom to give us the Miami premier rights for their Psychic Migrations film, to show at our fall fundraiser event. She always reaches out to get food/drink donations for clean-up events and meetings, and secures the best raffle donations for our fundraiser events.

 

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Guest Blog: 2016 Florida Coasts & Oceans Lobby Day

Lobby Day was quite the interesting and informative experience! I had never been to the Florida capitol before, let alone been lobbying. Myself, and two other UF students were there representing the Surfrider Quad club at the University of Florida, and we were definitely all newcomers to the political arena! After meeting with the other activists for a quick briefing and breakfast at 9am, Holly split us into groups and gave us each a schedule which detailed the meeting times she had previously scheduled with various representatives and senators, as well as other relevant information about the three bills we would be speaking about. 
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Legislature once again blocking local governments

Legislature once again blocking local governments
Tallahassee Democrat
Saturday, February 13th, 2016

Florida legislators quickly fault the federal government for overreaches, mandates and for just generally being “big government.” Yet last week, without public input or scrutiny, the Florida House of Representatives moved to strip cities and counties of their ability to regulate polystyrene foam foodware. Click here to read the full story.

Polystyrene Legislation Updates

Last week the Florida House pushed through a last minute amendment to HB7007 (a Department of Agriculture bill) to preempt local polystyrene (aka “styrofoam”) regulations. The bill, including the foam preemption, passed the full House on February 3rd.  The polystyrene preemption language has not been filed in the Senate yet, but rest assured that we are working hard to protect home rule, our beaches, and waterways.

We are currently working with legislators to craft a solution to the preemption issue and will share a call to action as soon as there is an opportunity for the public to weigh in.  In the meantime, we encourage you to reach out to your Senator and let them know that you oppose the preemption of local polystyrene ordinances. Click here to find your legislators!

Action Alert: Plastic Bags & Polystyrene

ACTION ALERT: There are a number of very good amendments filed to the bad polystyrene (foam) bill- HB7007! Some of the amendments deal with polystyrene foam foodware and others deal with single-use plastic bags. This bill will be voted on by the full House Tuesday at 4pm- here’s how you can help!

Plastic Bags:

Representative Richardson has filed a critically important amendment on the plastic bag preemption! It gives the Legislature until January 1st, 2017 to adopt rules for the regulation of single-use plastic bags. If the Legislature fails to do so, the preemption would be lifted.

Polystyrene Foam Foodware:

Representative Richardson and Representative Miller have also filed amendments to the proposed ban on local regulation of polystyrene.

1. Representative Miller’s amendment (712405) gives local governments until April 2016 to pass any polystyrene ordinances (instead of the original deadline of January 1st, 2016- which has already passed!). Click here to read the amendment.
2. Representative Richardson’s amendment (111591) goes even further and extends the deadline for the preemption until January 1st, 2017. Click here to read the amendment.
3. Representative Richardson’s other amendment (510403) provides an exemption for coastal communities from the preemption of polystyrene- meaning that any communities that touch the Gulf, Atlantic or a Bay would still be able to regulate or ban polystyrene foam foodware. Click here to read the amendment.

We need you to call your House member ASAP- the vote is Tuesday at 4pm! Click here to find your House member!

• Support ALL of Representative Richardson’s amendments: delay implementation of the polystyrene preemption until January 1st, 2017, provide an exemption of coastal communities, and require the state to make a comprehensive statewide plan to deal with single-use plastic bags.
  • Coastal communities are dependent on clean and healthy beaches.
  • Because of its lightweight nature, foam containers frequently blow out of trashcans and garbage trucks, where they make their way to storm drains, retention ponds, waterways and our beaches.
  • Polystyrene foam foodware is rarely recycled, frequently littered and never biodegrades.

  Some communities have been working on foam ordinances for months and are ready to implement those policies. Give them the opportunity to protect their local communities and waterways! For the last six years, the Legislature has failed to take action on the DEP’s

  recommendations on plastic bags

  . Require the Legislature to create a statewide policy to regulate single-use plastic bags, and if the Legislature fails to do so- give that authority back to our local communities!

Florida Legislature wants to prohibit local communities from regulating EPS foam!

Late Wednesday night, Rep. Jake Raburn filed an amendment to HB7007 (a Department of Agriculture bill) to preempt all local polystyrene (aka “styrofoam”) regulations. The amendment was heard the following morning at 10am in the House State Affairs Committee, and despite overwhelming opposition from the public- passed. This is the last committee stop for this bill, now heading to the House floor.

This preemption is devastating to our coastal communities that are trying to keep EPS foam off their beaches and out of their waterways. We are going to fight tooth and nail to keep this bad preemption language out of the Senate companion bill.  Click here to read the bad amendment that is now part or HB 7007.

Click here to contact your legislators- it only takes a minute!

Action Alert: Bag Bill

Greetings Friends,

Great news- SB306, the plastic bag bill, successfully passed through its first committee stop in the Senate. Next it heads to the Senate Community Affairs Committee. Unfortunately, the bill has not yet moved in the House, so we need your help!

ACTION ITEM: Please contact Rep. Goodson, Chair of the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee, and ask him to put HB143, Disposable Plastic Bags, on the agenda ASAP!

Representative Goodson: (850) 717-5050
tom.goodson@myfloridahouse.gov

ACTION ITEM: Please contact Sen. Simpson, Chair of the Senate Community Affairs Committee, and ask him to put SB306, Disposable Plastic Bags, on the agenda ASAP!

Senator Simpson: 850-487-5018
simpson.wilton.web@flsenate.gov

You can also contact the members of the Community Affairs Committee to ask for their support when the bill is voted on:

Click here for talking points
Click here to view the bill

Thank you for your support!

Holly Parker
Florida Regional Manager
Surfrider Foundation