Our U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is investigating the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) over its alleged mishandling of Environmental Justice issues involving St. Augustine and St. Johns County. The focus includes FDEP's alleged failure to investigate the effects of pollution on the public health of African-Americans in the Lincolnville neighborhood and failure to take adequate enforcement action against the City of St. Augustine over pollution actions.
My late friend David Thundershield Queen said FDEP stands for “Don’t Expect Protection.”
FDEP never prosecuted City Manager WILLIAM B. HARRISS and his henchmen for intentional acts, including dumping 40,000 cubic yards of solid waste in the Old City Reservoir. Before the Lincolnville community was heeded, FDEP joined with the CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE, AKERMAN SENTERFITT and lawyer WILLIAM PENCE in a misbegotten effort to bring 40,000 cubic yards of solid waste back to Lincolnville, where they proposed it be used for a "park." Under Republican governors, FDEP has been guilty of desuetude -- nonenforcement, part of the "hollow government" that won't enforce the laws as written by Congress.
FDEP could lose all federal funds as a result of EPA's pending investigation of FDEP's alleged violations of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Several local activists filed the EJ complaint with President Barack Obama in January 2009.
We shall overcome.
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