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Environment & Water Quality

Florida’s continued economic prosperity and quality of life depends on water quality. Our springs, rivers, lakes and tidal waters at our beaches must be clean. Our amazing natural resources of the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee must be protected. Water quality and environmental protection are our top policy priorities. We can never lose sight of the fact that clean Florida water is at the core of our food supply, economic activity, and recreation.

News Articles

March 31, 2023 | In The News

Briefing held to discuss Midnight Pass re-opening

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – Rep. Greg Steube and Sarasota County leaders held a virtual briefing on Thursday, March 30, to discuss the status and steps needed to re-open Midnight Pass in Sarasota County.

Prior to 1984 Little Sarasota Bay was open to the Gulf of Mexico. The opening pass seperated Casey Key and Siesta Key. It was known as Midnight Pass and it allowed fresh ocean water to flow freely into Little Sarasota Bay, flushing out debris and maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

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March 30, 2023 | Press Releases

U.S. Representative Greg Steube and Sarasota County Leadership Hold Briefing to Discuss Midnight Pass Reopening

WASHINGTON —  U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) yesterday received a virtual briefing from Sarasota County leadership regarding the status and steps needed to reopen Midnight Pass in Sarasota County. Local leaders who participated in the briefing include Spencer Anderson, County Public Works Director and Rob Lewis, County Director of Government Relations. 

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July 23, 2021 | Press Releases

Steube Leads Florida Delegation in Defending Lake Okeechobee and Agriculture Communities After U.S. Army Corps LOSOM Announcement

“More than 7 million Floridians and thousands of businesses tied to tourism, agriculture, healthcare and construction depend on water supply from Lake Okeechobee, and expected that LOSOM would result in a plan that meets the water supply purpose by restoring the water supply purpose by restoring the water supply performance that existed prior to the current schedule. In addition to seeking assurances from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that the Preliminary Preferred Plan CC can be optimized to meet the lake’s project purposes, we are also concerned that without such changes, Plan CC will result in significantly higher volumes of harmful Lake Okeechobee discharges to the Caloosahatchee River.”

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July 15, 2021 | Press Releases

Steube Defends Florida Agriculture at South Florida Water Management District Governing Board Meeting on Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual

“Protecting Lake Okeechobee is vital to ensuring that people who depend on the Lake have access to safe and reliable drinking water and that our agriculture industries around the Lake have the adequate water for their crops to feed our state and our nation. Agriculture is one of the three largest drivers to Florida’s economy and any negative impact to agriculture will affect the entire state’s economy. Many of those families have farmed for generations and a Lake regulation schedule that does not take into account their legitimate needs would harm Floridians.”

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May 25, 2021 | Press Releases

Steube Tours Casey Key Coastal Restoration Site and Holds Roundtable to Discuss Long-Term Coastal Resilience

“Especially as we approach another hurricane season, Casey Key’s restoration efforts will be critical in achieving long-term coastal resilience in Sarasota County. These coastal resilience efforts will serve our environmental and economic interests for decades to come, and our team is committed to working with all of our federal, state and local partners to help advance these efforts.”

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May 07, 2021 | Press Releases

Steube Cosponsors Legislation to Improve and Protect Florida’s Waterways

“I am honored to work with my colleagues to support new initiatives to reduce harmful algal blooms in Lake Okeechobee and our coastal communities. These bills will build on our previous progress and make new strides in protecting our waterways while promoting recreation, tourism, and environmental interests.”

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March 22, 2021 | Press Releases

Steube Holds Virtual Town Hall with Okeechobee Chamber of Commerce

“Okeechobee County’s priorities like telehealth expansion, water quality issues, and public health have remained major focuses for our team, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. I was honored to update the Chamber this morning on what we are doing at the federal level to advance these priorities and protect our values.”

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March 17, 2021 | Press Releases

Steube Joins Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Combat Harmful Algal Blooms in Florida

“Water is the lifeblood of Florida with our thriving ecosystem offering vital resources for our local economies, agriculture, tourism and recreation. As we are no strangers to harmful algal blooms and the negative effects they have on our water quality, this bipartisan legislation takes an important step in prioritizing Florida’s environment despite ongoing partisan gridlock in Washington.”

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February 10, 2021 | Press Releases

Steube Offers Federal Assistance to Prevent Further Delays in Longboat Key Sewage Spill Recovery

“Cleaning up this sewage spill and taking extra steps to prevent future problems is of paramount importance to our communities and environment. At all levels of government, our united goal is a reliable wastewater system to ensure these problems are not repeated in Longboat Key or elsewhere. I look forward to working with my local, state and federal colleagues to ensure that our community has the resources and federal grants necessary to prevent further extensions or delays.”

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