Bill Nelson meets with residents, business owners still struggling with Florida's algae crisis

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, visited Southwest Florida on Thursday to discuss water quality with local stakeholders still struggling with the effects of red tide and the blue-green algae crisis. 

The main takeaway: Tthe uncompromising heat won't help.

"Algae won't grow in the cold months," he said in a news conference held after the meeting that echoed his sentiments among business owners. "But now here we are in the middle of October when it would normally be cooling off, and it's still hot as blazes."

A recent survey of Lee County businesses found that 86 percent of local businesses reported losses due to the red tide, and 73 percent of the business owners surveyed said they lost $500,000 or more. 

A Sanibel Chamber of Commerce survey found that Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach businesses lost nearly $41 million in July and August as a result of the red tide and algae crisis.

Nelson held a similar meeting with business owners in Fort Myers last month to discuss legislation he filed to provide tax breaks to businesses most affected by the algae.

The crisis has recently waned, with red tide counts returning to natural background levels in Lee and Collier counties and beaches reopening as blue-green algae recedes. But the economic impact that it caused lingers, according to Nelson. 

More:Red tide at background levels in Lee, Collier

More:Cape Coral's Yacht Club Beach reopens after being closed since July 20 because of algae

And another cause for concern: autumn is the time of year when red tide could flare back up, Nelson said. He slammed his political opponent, Florida Gov. Rick Scott, for stunting the work of environmental agencies that would study the problem and find solutions.

Scott slashed $700 million from the state's water management districts, eliminated periodic inspections of leaking septic tanks and abolished the growth management agency, to name a few missteps, Nelson said. 

"Gov. Scott has systematically dismantled the environmental agencies in the eight years that he's been governor," he said. "If people want to do something about it, they'd better watch out who they are electing and not electing. Look at who you're electing to office — you've got to look at the people who care about the environment."

A spokesman for Scott's campaign said in a statement:

"These are more misleading and desperate claims from Bill Nelson. Under the Governor's leadership, Florida passed major legislation to ensure the public is made aware within 24 hours of the release of any harmful substance."

The statement goes on to detail how Scott declared a state of emergency due to the effects of red tide in August and secured "millions of dollars to help impacted communities." According to the statement, red tide is naturally occurring, and scientists at Mote Marine Lab have "called out the absurdity of blaming Governor Scott for this natural phenomenon."

Nelson and Scott, both Florida candidates for U.S. Senate, were meant to debate each other Oct. 9 on CNN, but both campaigns agreed to postpone in the wake of Hurricane Michael.

More:Hurricane Michael postpones debate between Florida Senate candidates Rick Scott, Bill Nelson

More:Hurricane Michael brings voter registration deadline extension fight

Nelson criticized Scott on Thursday for what he said was intentionally avoiding a second debate and the attention it would bring to Scott's conflicts of interest in the state, which were recently published in the New York Times.

"I wanted the debate on Oct. the 21st — he's the one that said postpone it," he said. 

Nelson said he pushed to have the debate on CNN before voting starts but that Scott declined. 

That's not true, according to the Scott for Florida campaign. Spokesman Chris Hartline responded to Nelson's claims over the phone Thursday. 

"It's not surprising; this is what we've come to expect from him," he said. "We accepted four debates going all the way back to June, with three in June and one in September. (Nelson) only accepted two of them." 

Then the CNN debate was pushed back because of the hurricane, he said. The station offered to reschedule for Oct. 25, he said. According to Hartline, Scott accepted, and Nelson refused. That's when CNN canceled. 

"He made the argument that he wanted to debate before in-person early voting," he said. "There were plenty of opportunities to accept."

The two participated in an hourlong debate at the beginning of the month, hosted by Telemundo 51/WSCV in Miami, where both took turns attacking the other.

"I don't think he is too anxious to debate me again," Nelson said. "I think he was quite uncomfortable after that debate."

Nelson said he wasn't sure how Hurricane Michael might affect the upcoming elections as politicians battle over whether to extend voter registration deadlines.

More:Researchers in town testing residents for exposure to algae toxins

More:Red tide levels are low, but growing season is just beginning

The deadlines were extended in counties where offices were closed on the day of the registration deadline due to Hurricane Michael.

"We've got an election in 2½ weeks, and I'm going to be campaigning all over, as well as taking care of my duties right here," he said. 

On Thursday the Florida Department of State gave Supervisors of Elections in eight counties the authority to extend and enhance voting options via the Governor's Executive Order 18-283. 

The counties are: Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gasden, Gulf, Jackson, Liberty and Washington counties. They can alter voting options based on needs and challenges they have identified, such as damage to polling locations, extended telecommunications service disruptions or large percentages of the counties' populations without power. 

These counties can:

• Extend the amount of days of early voting, which can begin as early as Monday and can extend through Election Day, Nov. 6. 
• Designate additional early voting locations.
• Expedite the delivery and acceptance of vote-by-mail ballots.

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Nelson also commented on the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul two weeks ago, criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump for defending the country's Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

"It is inexcusable that the president would be defending the crown prince," he said. "He was an American person, he has a family of American citizens, and he was employed by a prominent newspaper. To silence him, to kill him — that is not the values that the United States stands for, and the president ought to represent those values."

Connect with this reporter: bbaitinger@news-press.com, 239-335-0213 or Twitter: @BaitingerBrooke.