During today’s Clean Water Conversation, state Representative Anna Eskamani made news. She agreed to file legislation that would repeal the “particle emission” protections language approved last year in Senate Bill 88. This part of the “Right to Farm” bill protects the sugarcane industry from legal action related to the harmful impacts of sugarcane burning, leaving communities south of Lake Okeechobee vulnerable to the many health hazards connected to such burning.
We applaud Rep. Eskamani’s dedication to shielding residents who are disproportionately impacted by these dangers. And we stand ready to help shine a light on this environmental injustice as well as many other policy challenges elected officials will face in the state legislative session that starts in January.
We covered many important legislative topics during today’s Clean Water Conversation. If you missed the event today, you can find the full recording below.