Craig Pittman at the Tampa Bay Times has the story on how the Florida Department of Environmental Protection overruled the professional judgment of its top expert on wetland mitigation banks. Connie Bersok, universally regarded as objective and fair-minded, did not bend to agency pressure on a permit: “I hereby state my objection to the intended agency action and refusal to recommend this permit for issuance.”
She has been suspended for doing her job.
Rick Scott must go. NOW.
We need to support Connie Bersock and those willing to stand up and do what they were hired to do.
Our state agencies were created to be independent experts for our Tallahassee decision makers.
When the agencies were created, it was assumed that the legislature and Governor don’t have the expertise to know the “nuts and bots” of the science of wetlands, hydrology and our natural Florida.
It’s also assumed that applicants for permits will use the science that is in their favor to get the permits they need for projects. In turn it is assumed that those environmental groups opposed to new projects that will do environmental harm will only present facts based in favor of the natural environment and the fauna it supports.
The fact that the Governor has chosen to ignore his own independent experts is criminal. Ms. Bersock had nothing to gain and everything to loose by standing her ground. We need to find a way to support her and our state agencies on this one.
Thanks for posting this Tom.
We need to support those who are not on the governing boards of our state agencies. Many times the folks who do the science are over-ruled by the boards, or, as in the case of Yankee Lake, find a way to make it appear that nothing bad will happen as a result of their subversion of their own rules. By insisting that Yankee Lake be a 55mgd water plant, but only permitting a 5mgd initial permitt, it was impossible to fight it becasue the smaller amount didn’t rise to the point of doing obvious harm. But it is also obvious that the board intends, at a later date, to rape the St. Johns with impunity.
Sad for Connie, Even more sad is the chilling effect on other DEP or WMD staff. With these very public firings, suspensions, and demotions, how can anyone be inspired to do their best work when this is the reward for experience, knowledge, courage and integrity?
This constitutes another chip in the shield that water management regulations supposedly provide this essential natural resource; eventually, actions like this will render science-based policies mute – and moot. The question remains, though, who besides those of us who know and care about the risks of this near-sighted agenda care? The needed hue and cry from the electorate at large remains silent and as that old truism states, it is enough that well-meaning folks fail to object when such travesties occur for evil to succeed and thrive. We are enduring, I believe, the most serious and significant threats to the future of this state that ever have been launched.
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