To the Editor:Protect Florida’s Springs – Act Now!O4/17/14
With only two weeks left in the 2014 Legislative Session, the LWV of The Villages/Tri-County Area is asking readers of the Villages-News.com to contact Rep. H. Marlene O’Toole and ask her to support HB1313 to protect Florida’s springs.  The Senate is poised to pass the Florida Springs & Protection Act (SB1576) but the House has not  yet acted. Florida HB (1313) would start the long job of reversing decades of degradation of Florida’s springs. These once crystal-clear waters, now choked with runoff from septic tanks, waste water plants, storm drains, farm and lawn fertilizer and other pollutants, are vital to the state’s economy, tax base and the health of its drinking water supply.  HB1313 is a bipartisan bill sponsored by Re. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford that should be heard and passed by the house this session. It would provide $371 million a year for a range of projects, from removing leaky septic tanks to the limiting of fertilizer and restoring the springs’ natural flow.  Thank you.
Joanne Coen
Bonnybrook
