Waste to Energy Pollutes, Florida!
Oppose HB 1419 Florida incinerators dirty our air and waterways. They also disproportionately impact marginalized and communities of color and increase health issues including cancer and asthma. Shut down waste to energy bills.
*3/15 Update-Bill passed and is on the Governor's desk for a signature. Please call to veto this dirty bill!
*Fast moving update 3/4/22 to HB 1419 Financial Assistance for Municipal Solid Waste-to-Energy Facililities
Two of the largest plants in Florida have now been eliminated from the bill. The 100m. recurring revenue fund has been removed. It now applies to a limited number of items able to be incinerated.
Contact your legislator and ask them to oppose HB 1419/ SB 1764. Our focus in Florida should be on zero waste solutions, not backwards toxic trash incinerators. With large flooding events due to climate change and sea level rise, the last thing we need is more toxic incinerator ash and the expense of building these structures which are the most polluting and expensive ways to manage waste.
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In Florida, 100 million in grants are being offered for waste to energy incinerators in HB 1419/ SB 1764. Burning our trash is not the way to get out of this waste crisis and this process this becoming the go to solution in Florida. Surfrider Foundation would like to see legislation that promotes policies and programs for a plastic pollution reduction, circular economy, Extended Producer Responsibility legislation, food waste composting, deposit bills, and proper recycling.
HB 1419 Financial Assistance for Municipal Solid Waste-to-Energy Facilities is a bill that disproportionately impacts marginalized and communities of color impacting health from toxified air and water quality increasing incidence of respiratory disease and cancers. These incinerators also increase ghg's and negatively impact climate change initiatives.
The EPA's Justice 40 initiative has discovered great injustices in the location of these incinerators and the disproportionate impacts on health of these communities. You can read more in this NIH study.
We oppose bills that offer additional grant money to further pollute our water and air with trash incineration. Zero waste is the solution where we move beyond incineration.
SB 1764 Municipal Solid Waste-to-Energy Program the companion bill has been placed on the special agenda for 3/1/22.