Florida PIRG’s website

Mission Statement - "Florida PIRG is an advocate for the public interest. When consumers are cheated, or our natural environment is threatened, or the voices of ordinary citizens are drowned out by special interest lobbyists, Florida PIRG speaks up and takes action..."

PIRG Programs

Protect Florida’s Treasured Waters - Overview
"...a number of Florida’s most magnificent waterways, including three that have been designated as Outstanding Florida Waterways, are facing imminent threat from poorly planned developments and nutrient pollution run-off..."

Stop the Big Water Grab - Overview
"...Coalitions of large developers, major landowners, corporate agriculture giants and powerful business representatives (known as the Council of 100) are now deciding the future of Florida’s most precious public resource: water."

Fact Sheet - "...As the 2005 Florida Legislative Session approaches, big developers and other special interests are hard at work trying to convince our elected officials to weaken Florida’s already insufficient water laws. Many of these powerful interests want to pump, privatize and then pipe water from north Florida to support sprawling developments in central and south Florida and corporate farm operations across the state."

How You Can Help

Clean Water Future "Our Water At Risk" - "...this precious resource that we hold so dear is in big trouble. Industrial and municipal facilities throughout Florida discharge large amounts of toxic chemicals and other pollution into our waters. This degrades the places we fish and swim, contaminates our drinking water,and threatens our health."

America’s Environment At Risk - "...The vast majority of Americans stand united behind strong protections for our environment. Yet the Bush administration is allowing oil companies and other powerful interests to ignore and even rewrite our environmental laws."

PIRG Reports

October 2004:
Fishing for Trouble: How Toxic Mercury Contaminates Fish in U.S. Waterways - "...This report details the active fish consumption advisories issued by the states in 2003 due to mercury pollution in local waterways and finds that fish in a large percentage of America’s lakes, rivers, and coastal waters are not safe for unlimited consumption."

    Download the full report

August, 2004:
Reel Danger: Power Plant Mercury Pollution and the Fish We Eat - "...This report by Florida PIRG and Clear the Air analyzes new data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine the extent to which fish in the nation’s lakes are contaminated with mercury."

    Download the full report

April 2004:
Florida’s Environment At Risk: The Local Impacts of the Bush Administration’s Environmental Policies - "... Over the last three years, the Bush administration has proposed numerous policies to allow more pollution in our air and water, more logging in our national forests, and more drilling on sensitive public lands, while ignoring the pressing need to address global warming pollution, rapidly clean up toxic waste sites, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil."

"...this report, by no means exhaustive, details some of the administration’s harmful proposals and reveals how communities in Florida will experience the very real, very local effects of these actions."

    Download the full report

March 2004:
Troubled Waters: An analysis of Clean Water Act compliance - "...this report analyzes all major facilities "a" violating their Clean Water Act permits between January 1, 2002 and June 30, 2003, reveals the type of pollutants they are discharging into our waterways, and details the extent to which these facilities are exceeding their permit levels."

The list of facilities in Florida exceeding their Clean Water Act permits

    Download the full report

January 2003:
Water for Florida’s Future: A Call for Leadership a Florida Water Coalition Report on Pressing Water Policy Issues.

The Florida Water Coalition is an alliance of the leading environmental, public health and public interest organizations in Florida. Its goals are to educate and communicate with decision-makers; to interpret policies and analyze proposed policies; to educate and mobilize local leaders, groups, allies and constituencies; and to publicize issues, proposals and decisions through the media.

    Download the briefing Book

PIRG News Releases:

October 14, 2004:
"Florida Ranks 2nd In Nation For The Most Lake Acreage With Posted Mercury Pollution Warnings" - "...The warnings cover over 2 million acres of Florida lakes, over 50,000 miles of rivers and over 5,000 miles of coastline. Last month, the Florida Department of Health issued updated advisories that significantly expand the types of fish covered, including many popular species such as grouper, pompano and red snapper."

April 20, 2004:
"Science Is Clear: Oceans Are In Trouble, Must Act Now" - "...a congressionally mandated 16-member panel (USCOP) tasked with studying the oceans for the past three years, provided its comprehensive report and recommendations for a coordinated and comprehensive national ocean policy to coastal governors, including Governor Jeb Bush, and selected members of Congress for formal review."

Learn more about the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy (USCOP) - On December 19, 2004, the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy expired, as provided under the terms of the Oceans Act of 2000. Their website is now an archive of the Commission’s work, please note maintenance of the website ceased on that date.

    View the USCOP Final Report

Sept. 25, 2003:
"Coalition Opposes Council of 100 Water Plan: Offers Plan To Protect Nature And Curb Unsustainable Growth" - "A coalition of environmental, wildlife, and public interest groups, known collectively as the Florida Water Coalition, released a water policy proposal that would provide water for growth in a sustainable way, emphasize protection of natural systems and encourage local government control over growth linked to water supplies."

PIRG Newsletters:

Florida PIRG Newsletter, Winter 2005

Florida PIRG Newsletter - Summer 2004

Contact PIRG:

Florida Public Interest Research Group
704 West Madison St.
Tallahassee, FL 32304
Phone: (850) 224-3321
E-mail: info@floridapirg.org
Web: www.floridapirg.org

PIRGs in other States

Sign up for E-Alerts: On Florida PIRG’s home page, you can sign up to receive free E-alerts. E-alerts offer an effective and easy way for you to make your voice heard on this and other critical policy decisions.