Statement from Judy Sanchez Regarding TC Palm’s Baseless Allegations
“The fact that the TC Palm would try to make this a story is ridiculous. Obviously, anti-farming
special interests have tried once again to distort the facts to better suit their social and political
agenda.
Like other state and federal agencies, the SFWMD routinely solicits input on draft rules,
regulations and reports from various stakeholders. All comments, whether spoken, written or
emailed become part of the public record in a lengthy, transparent public process.
Our comments with the district’s draft SFER were merely to point out that the revisions of the
40e-61 rule regulating Lake Okeechobee permits were likely to be affected by the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) after it finalized Lake Okeechobee’s Basin
Management Action Plan (BMAP). The draft SFER was prematurely suggesting changes to the
40e-61 rule without any public process.
U.S. Sugar pointed out that this measure may conflict with what the state was already
developing. Ultimately, it was up to the district’s staff and district scientists to decide on what
was included in the final report.
In late 2014, FDEP finalized Lake Okeechobee’s BMAP and has been providing updates
annually. In 2016, the Florida Legislature directed FDEP to take the lead on water quality, and
called upon the district to revise the 40e-61 rule. The district would at that time start the public
process for revising the rule.
This is yet another example of a concerning trend where the TC Palm selectively reports on
water issues and provides an outlet for the fake news created by special interest activists. The
newspaper is doing the people of Martin County of disservice by taking such a disappointing
anti-farmer position in its reporting and editorial content.”
On background: There is nothing that would preclude Mr. Goforth from submitting his report
once the SFWMD begins the public process for revising the 40e-61 rule, as now directed under
Florida law.
Sources:
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&UR
L=0400-0499/0403/Sections/0403.067.html
21. The district shall revise chapter 40E-61, Florida Administrative Code, to be consistent with
this section and s. 403.067; provide for a monitoring program for nonpoint source dischargers
required to monitor water quality by s. 403.067; and provide for the results of such monitoring to
be reported to the coordinating agencies.
Lake Okeechobee
BMAP:http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/watersheds/docs/bmap/LakeOkeechobeeBMAP.pdf