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Fall 2003 - V.18 N.3 Table of Content	Cape Canaveral Hospital Moves One Step Closer to Filling Banana River
News Around the Lagoon Cape Canaveral Hospital Moves One Step Closer to Filling Banana River 30% of Lagoon Dolphin Suffer Skin Disease 12 Water Projects Funded EPA Allows Florida to Pollute Drinking Water 800 Dolphins and Whales Dying in Nets Nitrogen Associated with Sewage Found in Ocean Seaweed Advisory wants to take north Florida's Water to Supply south Florida Growth Muck Removal Delayed to Late 2004 Army Corp. Studies Lagoon Problems Lake Okeechobee Water Releases Merger Expected to Reduce Growth Management Development impact Fees Results in Job Growth Runoff Cause Cattails Spread in Everglades Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festivals U.S Fish and Wildlife considers New Manatees Zones in Florida Environmentalists Sue to Restrict Weed Killer Wastewater Carried Towards in the Keys Florida Keys at Risk Bioluminescent Algae in the Ocean Sea Urchins Infesting the Reefs On the Lagoon with Captain Rodney Smith	Governor Bush failed to veto or sign controversial bill 601 which allows Cape Canaveral Hospital taxing district to ignore local government's law on the height and density of building and the filling of the Lagoon. Local bills that are not vetoed or signed pass into law anyway. Cape Canaveral Hospital is now expected to seek a landswap from the Government and cabinet to trade submerged lands it was forbidden from filling in the Banana River Aquatic Preserve that it is seeking to fill. The 601 bill also states that if the taxing district is allowed to swap land it owns for Aquatic Preserve Land, filling the preserve will be presumed to be in the public interest. They will also need permits from Army Corp. and St. Johns Water Management District. The US EPA, US Fish and Wildlife and the National Marine Fisheries Service have all stated that similar versions of this project would substantially impact aquatic resources of national Importance. The hospital proposes to fill in waters conditionally approved for harvesting shellfish and St. Johns River Water Management District rules prohibit permits for filling this class of waters. Local residents, a Cocoa Beach City Councilman and the Florida Audubon Society have filed for an administrative hearing with the Water Management District to block the hospital from receiving a permit to fill the lagoon. Next Article: 30% of Lagoon Dolphin Suffer Skin Disease from TCPalm

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