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?ti-XS} DC 205i 0?0905

NELSON

FLORIDA July 9, 2018

The Honorable Robert Red?eld

Director

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road

Atlanta, GA 303 29

Dear Director Red?eld,

As toxic, neon-green algae blooms once again coat Lake Okeechobee and spread to Florida?s
coasts, I?m writing to ask for emergency federal assistance to properly communicate the potential
health risks associated with algae exposure, and a study of the long-term health effects,
especially for vulnerable populations like children, the elderly, and ?shermen who spend their
days on the water. As I travel across Florida, I continue to hear from residents and of?cials that
there is confusion about the potential health impacts of living near or coming into contact with
algae, including cyanobacteria and Karenia brevis.

Last week, I visited with residents and community leaders in Fort Myers and Stuart, Florida, to
discuss the algae plaguing the local waterways there and repeatedly heard the same message:
we need trustworthy, timely information about the potential health consequences of exposure to
toxic algae for prolonged periods.

During the ?lost summer? of 2016, the blue-green algae that overtook much of Florida?s east
coast was severe enough to garner national attention. Yet even then, local of?cials and residents
say they did not receive enough information from state agencies about the quality of the water or
the risks of exposure to toxic algae.

Floridians and tourists need to know with certainty whether or not the water is safe. If the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention needs a speci?c request from the state of Florida to
provide assistance, and has not yet received one, please let me know. I appreciate your attention
to this time-sensitive issue.

Sincerely,

.