Please call members of the committee and urge them to vote NO on the bill. Citizens should be able to know what threats they face to their health and safety in time to do something about it. SB 1582 provides an easy way for well operators to claim confidentiality for the ingredients they inject into the ground. The mere claim of confidentiality prevents DEP and FracFocus from disclosing the chemicals to citizens.
If a member of the
public asks DEP for the information they’ll have to wait up to 30 days while
the well operator files an action in circuit court seeking a determination that
the confidential information really is “proprietary business information” - a
trade secret. Then they’ll have to wait
for the court date. Then they’ll have to
wait through any continuances or appeals because the language of the bill
prohibits DEP from releasing the requested information ‘pending the outcome of
the legal action.’
In any case the public
will not know what ‘trade secret’ chemicals are used until they’ve already been
used. The public will not be able to know what they are in advance, and
therefore, won’t be able to act to protect themselves or their families.
The legal outcome is a
foregone conclusion because the all a company has to do to qualify the
ingredients as ‘proprietary business information’ is to show it meets the
definition in the bill:
the information is owned
or controlled by the company,-
it’s intended to be private to protect the business’s interest
- has not been disclosed except as required by law or by a private agreement that prohibits further disclosure (such as a licensing agreement)
- is not publicly available through proper means
When you call members of
the Appropriations committee to urge them to vote NO on 1582, be sure to thank
Reps. Flores, Garcia, Hukill, Montford, Joyner, and Smith for voting against SB
1468, the fracking ‘regulation’ bill yesterday!
Senate Appropriations Committee 2015
|
Sen. Tom Lee, Chair
|
Consists of part of
Hillsborough county
|
850-487-5024
|
lee.tom.web@flsenate.gov
|
|
Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto,
V. Ch.
|
Consists of parts of
Charlotte, Lee counties
|
850-487-5030
|
benacquisto.lizbeth.web@flsenate.gov
|
|
Sen. Thad Altman
|
Consists of parts of
Brevard, Indian River counties
|
850-487-5016
|
altman.thad.web@flsenate.gov
|
|
Sen. Anitere Flores
|
Consists of part of
Miami-Dade county
|
850-487-5037
|
flores.anitere.web@flsenate.gov
|
|
Sen. Don Gaetz
|
Consists of Bay, Holmes,
Jackson, Walton, Washington counties and part of Okaloosa county
|
850-487-5001
|
gaetz.don.web@flsenate.gov
|
|
Sen. Bill Galvano
|
Consists of DeSoto,
Glades, Hardee counties and parts of Charlotte, Highlands, Hillsborough,
Manatee counties
|
850-487-5026
|
galvano.bill.web@flsenate.gov
|
|
Sen. Rene Garcia
|
Consists of part of
Miami-Dade county
|
850-487-5038
|
garcia.rene.web@flsenate.gov
|
|
Sen. Denise Grimsley
|
Consists of Okeechobee
county and parts of Highlands, Martin, Osceola, Polk, St. Lucie counties
|
850-487-5021
|
grimsley.denise.web@flsenate.gov
|
|
Sen. Alan Hays
|
Consists of parts of
Lake, Marion, Orange, Sumter counties
|
850-487-5011
|
hays.alan.web@flsenate.gov
|
|
Sen. Dorothy Hukill
|
Consists of parts of
Lake, Marion, Volusia counties
|
850-487-5008
|
hukill.dorothy.web@flsenate.gov
|
|
Sen. Arthenia Joyner
|
Consists of parts of
Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas counties
|
850-487-5019
|
joyner.arthenia.web@flsenate.gov
|
|
Sen. Jack Latvala
|
Consists of part of
Pinellas county
|
850-487-5020
|
latvala.jack.web@flsenate.gov
|
|
Sen. Gwen Margolis
|
Consists of part of
Miami-Dade county
|
850-487-5035
|
margolis.gwen.web@flsenate.gov
|
|
Sen. Bill Montford
|
Consists of Calhoun,
Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Hamilton, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor,
Wakulla counties
|
850-487-5003
|
montford.bill.web@flsenate.gov
|
|
Sen. Joe Negron
|
Consists of parts of
Indian River, Martin, Palm Beach, St. Lucie counties
|
850-487-5032
|
negron.joe.web@flsenate.gov
|
|
Sen. Garrett Richter
|
Consists of parts of
Collier, Lee counties
|
850-487-5023
|
richter.garrett.web@flsenate.gov
|
|
Sen. David Simmons
|
Consists of Seminole
county and part of Volusia county
|
850-487-5010
|
simmons.david.web@flsenate.gov
|
|
Sen. Christopher Smith
|
Consists of part of
Broward county
|
850-487-5031
|
smith.chris.web@flsenate.gov
|
lee.tom.web@flsenate.gov,
benacquisto.lizbeth.web@flsenate.gov,
altman.thad.web@flsenate.gov,
flores.anitere.web@flsenate.gov,
gaetz.don.web@flsenate.gov,
galvano.bill.web@flsenate.gov,
garcia.rene.web@flsenate.gov,
grimsley.denise.web@flsenate.gov,
hays.alan.web@flsenate.gov,
hukill.dorothy.web@flsenate.gov,
joyner.arthenia.web@flsenate.gov,
latvala.jack.web@flsenate.gov,
margolis.gwen.web@flsenate.gov,
montford.bill.web@flsenate.gov,
negron.joe.web@flsenate.gov,
richter.garrett.web@flsenate.gov,
simmons.david.web@flsenate.gov,
smith.chris.web@flsenate.gov,
