Orlando Sentinel · Could rivers have rights just like people? Seminole commissioner wants to know
Photo: John Moran (cropped)
The Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights (CDER) has been working with the Florida Rights of Nature Network and communities across Florida on the rights of nature. There are grassroots campaigns now in over a dozen Florida counties - in Orange County, a rights of nature charter amendment is on the November 2020 ballot.
In October 2019, 1.2 million gallons of raw sewage spilled into Seminole County’s Sweetwater Creek, near Wekiva Springs - the failure of state and federal officials to restore the Creek is one of the reasons Seminole Commissioner Dallari suggested that the concept of rights of nature is needed. We appreciate Commissioner Dallari for asking County staff to explore the issue for possible future action by the County - see the coverage on the front page of today's Orlando Sentinel newspaper:
As Seminole County Commissioner Bob Dallari canoed on the Wekiva River recently, he noticed a growing amount of algae – more than in previous years – on the water’s surface and along the shorelines.
“It’s truly a shame,” Dallari said, wondering if the slimy stuff was made worse by the 1.2 million gallons of raw wastewater spilled last October by Utilities Inc. into a nearby creek that flows into the Wekiva following an equipment malfunction. Utilities Inc, which provides water and sewer service to people in west Seminole, including the Wekiva area, apologized for the spill last year.
Dallari said his outing on the river led to a question more and more local governments are beginning to ask: Should rivers, lakes, forests and other natural areas have certain legal rights just like people do?
