Ron DeSantis tours algae blooms in Cape Coral in campaign for governor

Ron DeSantis, the former Florida congressman and now full-time Republican candidate for governor of Florida, toured a Cape Coral canal infested with toxic algae blooms this afternoon with the media and a small group on two boats.

“It is rancid,” DeSantis said as he huddled with reporters for about five minutes afterward at the Cape Coral Yacht Club parking lot. He then departed in a rented SUV, heading for the airport and then St. Augustine for another campaign appearance.

“As the guys were saying, that was actually one of the better times to see it,” DeSantis said. “It has been much, much worse. It’s hard to have an appetite after having done that.”

DeSantis, without offering specific examples, compared his environmental philosophies to Teddy Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States and a man who established five national parks and 18 national monuments.

Running against Democratic candidate and Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum, DeSantis said he viewed the environment as the most urgent issue. He said he would have a different approach than that of Gillum and his supporters.

“Those are liberal environmentalists,” DeSantis said. “I am not a liberal environmentalist, and I’m never pretending to be. I’m more of a Teddy Roosevelt conservationist. I really differ from their philosophy.”

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DeSantis talked about his solutions for the algae blooms in mostly generalities.

“The federal EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has been a problem in a lot of areas,” he said. “Here, we’re going to look at updating the water standards. I want to make sure that they’re good. We’re going to be investing in the water infrastructure.

“I come from a different perspective. Teddy Roosevelt looked at the environment as something integral to people’s way of life. I think the liberal environmentalists look at it as more ideological.

“We have a lot of issues. The economy, education, public safety.  But I think the environment if it’s not the most important is the most urgent. We’re going to get this federal component to the reservoir authorized. I’m going to bring in the best and the brightest. I’m going to do whatever we can to solve the problem.”

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DeSantis was asked how climate change factored into the environmental issues including the toxic algae blooms, which according to scientists are caused when nutrients from fertilizer and septic tank runoff interact with warm water.

“Here’s what I think,” DeSantis said. “Clearly, you’ve seen more flooding. You’re seeing the sea levels rise. You look at other parts of the state, you’ve seen beach erosion. So I’m going to deal with those. They are what they are. You can’t deny that. With the idea that it’s behind every environmental problem, I have not necessarily said that. Here, to me, the problem is that the water is too dirty. So we have to clean the water up.”

Connect with this reporter: David Dorsey (Facebook), @DavidADorsey (Twitter).