The Florida State Department of Environmental Protection is moving forward with plans to reclassify many of its waters based on their potential harm to humans. Some say the reclassifications open the door for corporate and agricultural polluters.
"Recreational waters would be divided into three 'Human Use' categories with escalating degrees of risk."
"The DEP says an HU-4 waterway would be considered 'splashable' -- meaning a splash or two won't be toxic. Waterways rated HU-5 would be considered 'boatable,' though unswimmable and unfishable. No human contact would be advised."
"Rather than requiring paper mills, phosphate mines and ranches to clean up their effluent, the DEP has devised a ranking system that could forever surrender some of the most damaged rivers, lakes and canals to those who are using them as a sewer."
"Critics such as Linda Young of the Clean Water Network say the proposed Human Use categories could be a gift to polluters, allowing them to continue poisoning waterways at levels hazardous to fish, wildlife and humans."
"Instead of cleaning a polluted river to make it safe for all swimming and fishing -- as the rules now putatively require -- heavy industry and agriculture will be able to lobby for the more lenient 'splashable' or 'boatable' rating."
FULL STORY: If you like polluted rivers, you'll love this
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‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
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San Francisco Slow Streets Bucks Citywide Trend, Reducing Injuries by 61 Percent
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How Single-Family Conversions Benefit Both Homeowners and Cities
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Report: Transportation Equity Requires More Than Electrification
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research