Dear Editor:
Regarding the endless advertisements US Sugar is running in the News, with bold statements in large type such as: “Florida Farm Fact...growers have (paid) over $400M...to protect the Everglades”
Fact: The public has paid over $1.6 Billion to clean up EAA farm runoff, while farmers have paid as little as legally possible.
“Water from our farms does not contribute to water quality issues…in Lake O, SLE and IRL.”
Fact: Lake O is polluted by decades of backpumping from the EAA. When farmers were finally required to stop backpumping, they forgot they ever did it? They don’t know Lake O pollution is killing our River?
“…the water that…flows…south (from the EAA) leaves our land cleaner than when it entered.”
Fact: Highly polluted EAA runoff is treated in Stormwater Treatment Areas bought by, built by and operated by the public. Even so, discharges do not meet standards for phosphorus. Nitrogen is off the scale high. Sulphur is way higher than any receiving water. This particular lie is outrageous. It implies the EAA’s irrigation “treats” Lake O water to improve it. Totally false.
“…farmers…work…to meet the highest quality water standards.”
Fact: Sugar farmers fought tooth and nail against any water quality standards in the past and continue to fight pollution standards today. They have paid lawyers, consultants and politicians millions to allow continued pollution of public waters.
“We will continue to work with all our neighbors to improve water quality issues for all of us.”
Fact: Basic 6th grade grammar can be used to outline this claim; just identify subject, verb, object and indirect object. It then reads “We will…improve…issues…for us.”
Now that is true.
Full page four color ads in the paper are fancy lipstick on the pig.
Kevin Henderson
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