Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday night vetoed a measure that would have increased warnings for Floridians and tourists when a beach or public waterway is polluted.
The bill required the Florida Department of Healthto issue health advisories if water quality failed to meet the agency’s standards and required closing polluted beaches “if it is deemed necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public,” according to a House staff analysis of the bill.
The measure also required municipalities and counties to notify the state health department of unsafe water quality within 24 hours and required counties to post signs warning of unsafe waters, according to the bill.
Not only was the bill bipartisan, it sailed through both the Florida House and Senate with unanimous approval.
Posting and closing beaches is pretty standard in California in response to sewage spills and water quality sampling yielding substandard results, though it’s usually enforced by local health departments instead of the state.
One issue is the public can get fatigued and disregard the warnings if popular beaches are closed on an ongoing basis, but at least they’re generally informed of the risks. Heal The Bay puts out a pretty good annual report card summarizing results for many beaches across the state if you’re interested in reading more.