Florida's History of Toxic Pollution

History: Learn from

archived newspapers

Brevard County Pollution in Archived Newspapers

Discussions surrounding pollution and the decline of water quality in the Indian River Lagoon and Banana River began in the early 1970s. Archived newspapers document a history of discussions revolving around the environmental impacts of sewage pollution, space industry contamination, chemical use, hazardous waste, incineration, drinking water quality, and impacts on wildlife. In 1977 Melbourne and Titusville drinking water had some of the highest numbers of trihalomethanes detected, and studies began linking cancer to the use of chlorine in the water. Other articles highlight cancer cluster concerns in South Patrick Shores, Port St. John's power plant impacts with soot covering the communities and stripping paint from vehicles, space industry impacts, high amounts of chemicals being dumped in the Atlantic, DDT and other pesticide use, and much more. We have highlighted key phrases and paragraphs to help you better navigate the topic. Please consider donating to help us continue our research!

Indian River Lagoon
and Banana River
Pollution

1970 Brevard County Pollution

"We get tremendous amounts of pollution from ships, sewage, and other pollutants that seep into the lagoon."

"If it's not water and soil pollution, there's the problem of air pollution as workmen burn thousands of pounds of trash hauled in daily."

"Fish and birds face an immediate danger from pollution. Fishery officials have said the largemouth bass, important to ecology and tourism, is not reproducing in many state waters, including Brevard County."

Florida Today 6/28/70

1970 Incineration Discussion in Brevard

"I can't go along with them on incineration even though they have secured enabling legislation to construct incinerators. Incineration to my way of thinking is transferring soil-and-water polltiont o air pollution."

"The complaint is that farmers and other growers prefer fertilizers and won't buy compost. but we have learned that the outfall of fertilizers to our streams is creating dangerous algae."

"I wish the Health Department would seek legislation at Tallahassee to ban the sale of phosphate-rich detergents. I consider this a worse despoiler of our water than our garbage."

Florida Today 7/7/1970

1970 Brevard County Pollution

"We plan to refuse to allow permits to plants which do not treat nutrients."

"People have to realize sewer plants are not the answer. Planning is the answer."

"Population growth can be carefully controlled on such a preserve to assure a minimum of pollutants from man."

"I have data which indicates a fertilizer is the most damaging thing in the river."

"FIT pioneered the nation's first radiation sewer treatment plant."

"The penalty for no decision is a deadly burst of green algae and water hyacinths by 1980, experts say. And that means death for the Indian River."

Florida Today 11/30/1970

1972 Brevard Health Department Sewage

"The Brevard Health Department knows of hundreds of small polluted streams in the county failing to comply with state pollution laws but is doing nothing about it."

"Doug Cheshire criticized health department officials for hiding pollution problems in Brevard."

"I've been to the health department, and they say they don't have pollution."

Florida Today 6/17/1972

1972 sewage pollution in Indian River Lagoon

1972 Brevard County Fecal Pollution

"Most of those canals are drainage canals and eventually run into St John s and Indian Rivers."

"The causes of high bacteria and fecal counts in recreational water are often hard to pinpoint, but the most common reason are poorly treated wastes from municipal sewage systems seepage."

"A large swimming area would be closed if the bacteria count becomes dangerous, but he doesn't have the manpower to check all recreation areas."

Florida Today 7/16/72

1973 Brevard County Pollution

"There is no Florida without clean water and clean air to let the sunshine through."

Florida Today 3/23/1973

1973 Funding Denied & Titusville Blasted

"State denied Brevard $44 million in needed construction grants."

"Sent massive chunks of money to places where the environment already is beyond saving."

"Titusville Utilities Department has been blasted for putting insufficient effort into the upkeep of the city's sewer and water systems."

"The Titusville systems show indications of insufficient effort on preventative maintenance."

Florida Today 8/6/1973

1974 Funding to Save Indian River Lagoon

"More than $1 million slated for Brevard for distributing federal sewage treatment funds."

"The new plan, authored by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), would be financed totally with federal funds if Brevard shows an interested in it and a need."

"It would help solve pollution problems caused by saltwater intrusion, construction, urban and agricultural runoff, and other types of water pollution."

"It would be 100 percent federal funding and it does embrace a large array of pollution problems."

Florida Today 4/24/1974

1974 Cocoa Utilities Dumping Sewage

"Lawsuit says West Cocoa Utilities, Inc has operated its sewage treatment plant in violation of pollution regulations."

"All three plants are dumping their processed sewage into eh St. Johns River via drainage ditches and discharged sewage wastes without adequate secondary treatment since 1973. They have not properly chlorinated the effluent, resulting in fecal bacteria counts far in excess of those recommended by the state Health Department."

Florida Today 5/17/1974

1975 Incineration at Prison in Sharpes

"State officials have filed for a permit to pollute the air by building an incinerator at a proposed state prison in Sharpes, but Brevard and Florida officials say the incinerator won't do any polluting at all."

"Meeting state anti-pollution STANDARDS"

***Note: Standards are set by lawmakers who are influenced by lobbyists sent by polluting industires. Pollution is often put in areas where jails and prisons are located.

While officials explained there wouldn't be any pollution, they also stated they would be monitoring it frequently as they do power plants. They also stated that winders should not create problems.

Florida Today 3/22/1975

1976 FPL Burning Dirtier Fuel

Florida Power & Light officials seek approval to burn dirtier and less expensive fuel oil in their power plants, saving the industry $45 million yearly.

State Department of Environmental Regulation expressed concern over pollution levels from the high sulfur fuel.

FPL conducted an air monitoring study over two years, spending $2 million.

Florida Today 2/7/1976

Brevard County Pollution in Archived Newspapers

Indian River Lagoon and Banana River Pollution

Indian River Lagoon
and Banana River
Pollution