Environmentalist denounces state rules for toxic substances in water

But Linda Young, director of the Florida Clean Water Network, has denounced the proposed standards as weaker than those set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and by neighboring states.

State officials say their recommended standards would be more stringent than the federal government's rules.

The state's Environmental Regulation Commission will hear two very different perspectives today about proposed human-health standards for poisonous chemicals in Florida's surface waters.

"Do we want to lead the country down this destructive path?" Young said in a letter to the commission, which sets rules for protecting the environment in Florida.

Officials at the state Department of Environment Protection have drafted limits for a variety of toxic and cancer-causing agents, including the ingredients of pesticides, petroleum, plastics and industrial compounds.

"Calculating toxic criteria is extremely technical," said Drew Bartlett, director of the DEP's division of environmental assessment and restoration. "You look at exposure pathways; you look at degrees of human sensitivity."

Much of the exposure is through fish that contain chemical contaminants and are caught and eaten by people.

Bartlett said the state's standards were drafted after consulting with EPA and health officials in Florida. The result, he said, is a long list of standards that are more stringent than those developed by EPA.

But Young said the only way that claim can be made is with a statistical sleight of hand. She argued that most of the DEP's new standards pose a significant risk to people.

"Gov. Rick Scott and his Department of Environmental Protection are proposing an increase in the amount of cancer-causing chemicals that can be dumped into our rivers, lakes and estuaries," Young said.

"Most at risk from their polluter-friendly effort would be children, pregnant women and those who enjoy eating a significant amount of local fish and seafood," she said.

kspear@tribune.com or 407-420-5062