News Releases

A few days before Hurricane Irma struck Florida, Hurricane Harvey unearthed chemicals and toxic contamination in Texas, adding a further threat to the health and safety of Americans. So the question for Florida has been whether, and to what extent, Irma did the same. To find out, Environment Florida and U.S. PIRG conducted tests in Jacksonville to determine if residents living near Superfund sites were at risk. Those tests do not show chemical spikes.

Air pollution remains a major threat to our health, according to a new report from Environment Florida Research & Policy Center,”Our Health at Risk: Why Are Millions of Americans Still Breathing Unhealthy Air?,” released today on the steps of St. Petersburg City Hall alongside City Councilmember Karl Nurse, staff from U.S. Congressman Charlie Crist's office, and members of the community affected by asthma. In 2015, people here in Tampa Bay experienced 56 dirty air pollution days, increasing the risk of premature death, asthma attacks and other adverse health impacts.