Gov. Rick Scott will sign a bill to step up public notification of pollution incidents, after the measure was unanimously approved Wednesday in the House.
Scott quickly announced he will sign the bill (SB 1018), which was filed after controversies last year over public notification following a sinkhole opening at a Mosaic phosphate plant in Polk County and sewage discharges into Tampa Bay.
“We must do everything we can to ensure residents and visitors have access to clean and safe water, and I look forward to signing this common-sense bill into law,” Scott said in a prepared statement.
The measure will require owners or operators of facilities responsible for pollution to submit reports within 24 hours to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The department, in turn, would be required to post the information online within 24 hours. The department would also have to create a subscription system for people to receive the notices. The Senate voted 38-0 to support the bill on Monday.
