CAPTIVA, Fla. --- U.S. Senator Marco Rubio spent the day in Captiva surveying areas damaged from the blue-green algae and red tide Friday.
"Today, I saw firsthand the impacts that toxic algae and red tide are having on communities in Southwest Florida," said Rubio. "We are making progress, but we must continue to ensure the right resources are available for the communities affected by these blooms and work to solve our underlying water quality and infrastructure challenges."
Earlier this week, U.S. Senators Rubio and Nelson introduced the South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act legislation. This would direct the Interagency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms to assess the causes and consequences of Harmful Algal Blooms in Lake Okeechobee and around Florida's south and southwestern coast to determine the federal resources available to solve these challenges.
A roundtable discussion with local officials in Captiva was held after Senator Rubio's tour.
An extended timeline of Rubio's efforts to tackle the South Florida algal blooms can be found here [rubio.senate.gov].
