Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Environment

Two Florida Congressmen Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Combat Red Tide, Algae Blooms

A bipartisan initiative is underway to tackle the increasing threat of harmful algal blooms in Florida. This week, Florida Congressmen Vern Buchanan (R) and Darren Soto (D) introduced legislation aimed at making algal blooms, including the red tide phenomenon, eligible for federal disaster relief.

The proposed legislation, titled the Protecting Local Communities from Harmful Algal Blooms Act, seeks to amend the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act by including harmful algal blooms in the definition of a “major disaster.” If enacted, the bill would empower the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to offer both technical and financial support to states affected by these blooms.

Buchanan, who co-chairs Florida’s 30-member bipartisan congressional delegation, emphasized that this measure aims to protect both the environment and the tourism-driven economy of Southwest Florida.
“Red tide has wreaked havoc on marine life, coastal waters, and the businesses that rely on them,” Buchanan said in an official statement. “We must take immediate action to combat red tide and other harmful algal blooms.”
Soto echoed those concerns, emphasizing the impact of water quality on Florida’s environment and economy. “This legislation will provide critical resources to combat these outbreaks, protect public health, and support our local economies,” he said.
Southwest Florida is particularly vulnerable to red tide, a type of algal bloom caused by toxin-producing algae that can harm marine life and pose health risks to humans. A recent outbreak in the Gulf of Mexico led to health advisories being issued for several popular beaches in the region.

Buchanan has previously supported funding and research efforts aimed at addressing red tide and other algal blooms. His past initiatives include securing $8 million specifically for red tide research and supporting legislation that allocated over $100 million to combat harmful algal blooms nationwide. In 2019, he sponsored a measure directing the National Institutes of Health to allocate $6.25 million for studying the long-term health effects of red tide.

The reintroduction of this bill comes amid growing concerns about the increasing frequency and severity of algal bloom events along Florida’s coastal areas.

Written By

Florida Daily offers news, insights and analysis as we cover the most important issues in the state, from education, to business and politics.

Archives

Related Articles

Environment

Recent election issue polls show that climate change ranks below inflation, immigration, healthcare, and the economy as voters’ top priorities for 2024. A poll by...

Political News

Below is a statement from the office of Florida’s U.S. Senators, Sen. Marco Rubio and Sen. Rick Scott, regarding the U.S. Army Corps of...

Florida Government & Politics

The Institute for Legislative Analysis (ILA) just released the voting trends on Florida U.S Congressional members. Their latest analysis found that “culture war” issues...

Florida News

A manatee that was rescued and rehabilitated by Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) and SeaWorld was released back into the wild at Three...

Advertisement
Florida Daily
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

HOW WE COLLECT E-MAIL INFORMATION:

If you sign up to subscribe to Florida Daily’s e-mail newsletter, you will provide us your e-mail address and name, voluntarily, and we will never obtain any of your contact information that you don’t voluntarily provide.

HOW WE USE AN E-MAIL ADDRESS IF YOU VOLUNTARILY PROVIDE IT TO US:

If you voluntarily provide us with your name and email address, we will use it to send you one email update per weekday. Your email address will not be given to any third parties.

YOUR CONTROLS:

You will have the option to unsubscribe to our E-mail update at anytime by clicking an unsubscribe link that will be provided in each E-Mail we send.