March 04, 2007
Red-tide push may alter his environmental record
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007703040414
On paper, U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV doesn't appear to be the most environmentally friendly lawmaker ever elected to the House of Representatives. Of 12 environmental votes scored by a watchdog group, Mack, a Fort Myers Republican, voted with the green side just twice during his first term.
Energy companies and sugar beet growers, big-money interests not historically allied with Florida's conservation movement, donated to his campaign.
Still, Mack recently introduced legislation to authorize $82 million for research on red tide and algae blooms that have fouled Southwest Florida shores and sent tourists fleeing from the coast.
Environmentalists welcomed Mack's gesture, even if the money is far from certain.
"We were very happy to see Connie step forward," said Brad Cornell, with the Collier County Audubon Society. "People in his district have suffered quite a bit from the nutrient impact from Lake Okeechobee, and he has wisely recognized that impact and is looking for ways to address at least some of the consequences."
Mack's congressional district stretches from Charlotte Harbor south to Rookery Bay and Marco Island. It's laced with some of the nation's most sensitive coastal ecosystems, wetlands and estuaries.
Those natural wonders have come under attack from side effects of Florida's relentless growth and development.
Mack said he has been working to highlight the region's environmental concerns but acknowledged "highlighting the needs and being successful can be different things."
Lake O credit
Mack said he deserves credit for getting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to promise to build a reservoir to remove harmful nutrients — mostly nitrogen and phosphorous — that flow from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee River.
Some scientists believe inorganic chemicals from the lake, golf courses, lawns and storm runoff contribute to the harmful bacteria and algae blooms that have plagued the region.
Stuart DeCew, a red tide specialist with the Sierra Club in Sarasota, said the research Mack wants to fund would be a positive development. However, he said, officials could pursue short-term steps that would address Southwest Florida's ailing water system. "People aren't using their horse sense," DeCew said.
By switching to organic fertilizer on golf courses and lawns, nitrogen and phosphorous runoff could be reduced 80 percent to 90 percent, DeCew said.
Mack said he wants to make sure recommendations have a basis in science before he pushes for solutions.
"I'm not standing up for the golf courses and the fertilizer," Mack said. "But I would hate to invest in a solution that we find out is not really the cause."
Bucked the party
Mack is concerned about red tide and other environmental issues in his district, said Mark Ferrulo, director of Environment Florida, formerly Florida PIRG.
Ferrulo said Mack's 2005-2006 voting record may be less than desirable but credited him with siding with Florida's environment even against party leaders. "He was willing to buck his own party's leadership on the drilling fight, and we applauded him for that," Ferrulo said.
Mack opposed legislation that would have allowed offshore drilling closer to Florida's coast.
Mack's environmental credentials will be tested this year as the new Democratic majority in Congress tries to reduce car emissions and increase mileage. Other measures will be aimed at climate change and renewable energy sources.
Mack said he can envision voting for some of those bills but won't commit yet. "A lot of times you get these bills and you look at the original intent of the bill and you say, 'Yeah, I can support that.' But then they throw so many other things in it that you can't support it," Mack said. "I wish we could get clean bills. You want a clean environment? Give me a clean bill."