Page 8 - Life in Naples November 2018

MAYOR’S

CORNER

MAYOR BILL BARNETT

t seems the 2018 summer conversation revolved around at the science and accepting that human activity caused these
whether we will be lucky this hurricane season and escape problems. Irma brought torrential rainfall and flooding across
red tide, and blue green algae. I suppose it has become my the state and that’s when the brown tide started coming”, he
Itrademark when I say I’ve lived in the City of Naples for said. What he then said absolutely made sense to me. There has
forty-five years but it’s usually relevant to something I’m going been a long debate about who is responsible for the nutrients,
to or have said. In this case it’s red tide. I can remember my first specifically nitrogen in Lake O and other bodies of water.
encounter with it shortly after we moved here in 1973. There was Agriculture played a major role years ago, and non-agricultural
nothing in the newspaper, or the radio, or television that even fertilizer use was a factor as well, but that’s not really the case
mentioned red tide. I was at the beach one day with my kids and anymore according to Lapointe. “We are reducing fertilizers
of course we knew something wasn’t right but didn’t know why we tremendously in the Sunshine State, so where are they coming
where having the symptoms we were from?” he asked. “All you have to do
having. It was a local back then that is read the headlines”.
gave us our first history lesson about Those headlines, and his research,
red tide. He said it shows up once For those of you who are puts the onus on the tens of thousands
or twice a year, it kills fish, it makes of septic tanks near water bodies
people’s eyes water and cough but he returning to our beautiful as well as the State’s aging and
said it would be gone in a day or two Naples be prepared for inadequate wastewater infrastructure.
when the wind changed directions Those tanks and sewers are leaching
another great season! Our
and nobody knew what caused it but human waste into the water supply.
it had been around for many years. staff has been working “Septic tanks are the major source of
His words of wisdom seemed accurate nitrogen. Around the Tallahassee area,
and as the years went by we got used diligently while you were 50 percent of the nitrogen is from
to it and accepted it as a way of life. gone to make sure that you septic tanks and only 8 percent from
After dealing first hand with agricultural sources he said. Fixing
Irma in Naples last year everything are pleased with what you those problems will be costly he said.
else seemed irrelevant at the time. The infrastructure alone will take 18
There have been so many trickle see upon your return. billion to fix, but ignoring the problem
down effects from that hurricane could be even costlier.
that even today we are still dealing He went on to give proven
with them and will be for years examples that happened in the Keys.
to come. Naples did a marvelous job of cleaning up and last I agree with his final statement where he said if we don’t protect
years season was amazing. Fast forward to this summer. Red our environmental health, in this case water quality; it will have
tide has been as bad as I and many others have ever seen it. To disastrous impacts on human health. He finished by saying we
make matters worse our neighbors to the north, Sanibel, Fort need to call on our business leaders and politicians to pay attention
Myers, and Cape Coral have been severely affected with a nasty to scientific research before pulling the trigger on new policies.
blue green algae that is wreaking havoc on those communities. I take what I read very seriously and will do my best to be a part
Finger pointing, accusations, politics, and theories galore about of the solution and not the problem.
who is to blame and what is the cause. Lake O seems to be For those of you who are returning to our beautiful Naples be
the culprit and I have watched and listened to the experts. We prepared for another great season! Our staff has been working
are fortunate to have some of the top marine scientists and diligently while you were gone to make sure that you are pleased
biologists in Florida. I paid particular attention to remarks that with what you see upon your return.
were made by a Florida Atlantic University professor whose I do respond to e-mail @ mayorbill@naplesgov.com.
name is Brian Lapointe. He said “ it’s time to start looking Mayor Bill

8 Life in Naples | November 2018