Buchanan hosts red tide discussion

BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH – U.S. Congressman Vern Buchanan hosted a roundtable talk on red tide with local legislators and environmental stakeholders at the Beach House restaurant on March 17.

“I’ve invited you here today to discuss the status of our water quality and impact on the Suncoast,” Buchanan said. “I’m concerned about what we are leaving our kids. It’s a big issue for all of us.”

Ed Chiles, founder of Chiles Hospitality, said, “We are fortunate to have a senior member of Congress who cares about this issue because this is everything to us… It’s not one thing, it’s everything.”

Attendees at the roundtable included: Dr. Dave Tomasko, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program; Sandy Gilbert, Chairman and CEO of Solutions to Avoid Red Tide (START); Ed Sherwood, executive director of Tampa Bay Estuary Program; John Chappie, Mayor of Bradenton Beach; Manatee County Commissioners Kevin van Ostenbridge, James Satcher, Amanda Ballard, Mike Rahn and Jason Beardon; Charlie Hunsicker, director of Manatee County Natural Resources; Dan Diggins, Holmes Beach city commissioner; Carol Soustek, commission chair and vice-mayor of Holmes Beach; Ron Huibers, chair of the Holmes Beach Clean Water Committee; Capt. Scott Moore, of Moore Fishing Charters; as well as officials from Longboat Key.

“We greatly appreciate the congressman’s efforts to preserve and protect our natural resources,” Sherwood said.

Buchanan, co-chair of the 30-member bipartisan Florida Congressional delegation, has secured $8 million for red tide research, according to his website. In 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives approved

Buchanan’s amendment to study the impact of red tide on human health.

“On the suncoast, we rely on clean water and white sandy beaches to support our economy and our way of life,” Buchanan said. “Red tide has wreaked havoc on marine life, our waters and the many businesses that rely on Florida’s tourism-based economy.”

“As one of his top 10 priorities, Buchanan has introduced the ‘Protecting Local Communities from Harmful Algal Bloom Act,’ which would amend the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to include algal blooms in the definition of a ‘major disaster,’ ” according to Buchanan’s website. “The act would require Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) to provide both technical and financial assistance to states suffering from outbreaks of harmful algal blooms like red tide.”

“Congressman, I want to thank you for all your efforts,” Chappie said. “We need to take action today… there’s a lot more that needs to be done.”