In the midst of pushing for a $1.75 billion land deal to boost Everglades restoration, South Florida water managers on Wednesday suggested lessening the cleanup requirement that guides work to fix the River of Grass.
Trying to clean water by building filter marshes on phosphorus-rich farmland hasn't gotten the water quality to levels set after years of legal wrangling, according to the South Florida Water Management District.
Now, with the district angling to buy out U.S. Sugar and use the company's 187,000 acres of farmland to recreate the connection between Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades, some of the agency's top officials on Wednesday said the phosphorus cleanup goal is unrealistic.
"That seems to be an unreal, impossible goal to get to," said Patrick Rooney Jr., who represents Palm Beach County on the nine-member board appointed by the governor.
The state already has spent more than $1 billion trying to meet the phosphorus standard.
Board member Charles Dauray questioned whether water in a baptismal font would be considered clean enough to meet the standard.
"How do we get out of the corner that we are in?" asked Dauray, who represents southwest Florida.
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