Richard Harrison, Mariana FL

Speech – Dept. of Health Public Meeting, Tallahassee FL

The law, SB 550, passed by the Florida Legislature is redundant. 3 minutes can’t possibly explain the degree of redundancy of this law, nor the corruption that went into the making of this law, but I will try to hit the highlights. First, the Legislature, who “godfathered” this law to the Department of Health, passed this law with many of the legislators saying that they were “hoodwinked” into voting for it because they didn’t realize that there were last-minute changes  which required Statewide inspection rather than addressing the springs areas alone as had been done in the past. Secondly, the bill had failed in previous legislative sessions in which the 13 pages stood alone. This time it was sandwiched in to a 171 page bill that experienced 71 amendments before it was passed. Thirdly, the septic tank contractor industry lobby was well represented throughout the legislative processes as well as the environmental lobby, but the citizens who own septic tanks knew little or nothing about it. Fourthly, the premise that septic tanks are causing any appreciable pollution of nitrogen and phosphorus has NOT been proven. In fact, most septic tanks cause NO pollution of water resources. Fifthly, DOH already has in place rules to replace failing septic systems making an additional law redundant. My neighbor recently experienced this at a “bargain” price of $3000.

Under current rules, perhaps half of the septic tanks in my county, Jackson, would have to be replaced----not because they aren’t functioning well, but because they wouldn’t pass the new inspection. We are talking about $40 million in replacement costs to homeowners with little, if any, improvement in water quality.

Nitrogen and phosphorus “pollution” that is the major concern that spawned this law, is caused by MANY sources. Tons and tons of decaying leaves in forests near streams, fertilizer from farm runoffs near streams, aquatic life, animals that defecate near the water, common rainfall from thunderstorms, industrial pollution in some places, and even effluent from municipal sewer systems in some cases. Why point the finger at septic tanks? Why use septic tanks as the scapegoat? Besides, nitrogen and phosphorus are the least important of all so-called “pollution”. Lead, heavy metals, and toxic chemicals aren’t being addressed here.

The law is so redundant and ludicrous that thousands of citizens have risen up in response and signed petitions to the governor and legislature to repeal this law in Special Session. One man in the small rural county of Holmes County alone collected 1800 signatures to repeal the law.  The law is lacking in common sense.

14 County commissions, so far, that I am aware of, have passed resolutions against the law and most of them have asked for its repeal. (You can read what they said about the redundancy of this law and the needless burden it attempts to put on citizens of Florida). More county commissions are in the process now of making resolutions as much of the general public is just now learning about this law passed in April. It’s amazing to me how people in a third world country who don’t own a TV can learn what some people in Florida were PLANNING to do in Gainesville a week ahead of time, yet the citizens of Florida can’t find out what their own legislature passed in regular session until MONTHS later.

Since the people are demanding repeal of this law, this meeting today is both redundant---and a waste of the taxpayers’ money. We, the people, advise DOH, our legislature, and our governor to stop wasting the taxpayers’ money and stop enacting legislation that attempts to give away our rights to our own private property, and is also taxation without representation. We have a list of all the legislators who voted for this atrocious law and the governor who signed it into law and is refusing to delay the implementation of the law to allow the legislature time to readdress this law. We will remember them on November 2 at the ballot box----if this law is not repealed. We will not forget the influence of environmental extremists on DOH policy, nor EPA. EPA and DOH were both created----and can also be abolished.

Richard Harrison