Scott adds Lee, Palm Beach counties to emergency order

BY THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Gov. Rick Scott added Lee and Palm Beach counties to an emergency declaration regarding algae blooms in South Florida, his office announced on Thursday. Meanwhile, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it would reduce water released from Lake Okeechobee starting Friday. “It has been a challenging year for south Florida,” Jacksonville Commander Col. Jason Kirk said Thursday in a press release. “Our water managers have dealt with such large quantities of rain and runoff entering the lake that it would cover the entire state of Delaware in two feet of water. However, after visiting with local elected officials in Martin County yesterday and viewing the algae first hand, we felt compelled to take action, even though we need to remain vigilant in managing the level of Lake Okeechobee.” Scott expanded the emergency order dealing with the algae bloom after GOP state lawmakers representing Lee County sought the added designation earlier in the day. "We want to be treated fairly, which is why we called on the Army Corps of Engineers to find near term solutions now," Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers, and Republican Reps. Matt Caldwell of Fort Myers and Ray Rodrigues of Estero said in a joint press release. Scott's initial emergency order for Martin and St. Lucie counties, issued Wednesday, allows the Department of Environmental Protection and the Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission to sidestep state law in order to take actions needed to reduce the spread of the blooms in the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries, located on the east and west sides of Lake Okeechobee. Widespread algae blooms have caused officials to close beaches in Martin County for health concerns.