Gov. Rick Scott to declare state of emergency after touring Caloosahatchee River algae blooms

Dan DeLuca
The News-Press
Gov. Rick Scott answers questions after touring the algae blooms in the Caloosahatchee River on Monday, July 9, 2018.

Gov. Rick Scott said he will declare a state of emergency following his tour of the Caloosahatchee River algae blooms in Cape Coral this morning.

In 2016, when a similar bloom plagued the southern part of the state, the governor declared an emergency that helped facilitate loans for 54 businesses statewide claiming harm. Twelve were in Lee County.

On Sunday, Sen. Marco Rubio, R- Miami, sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to order the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct an emergency re-evaluation of water flows from Lake Okeechobee currently entering the Caloosahatchee River.

Sunday evening, the Corps decided to temporarily suspend scheduled flows from Lake Okeechobee down the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers.

The News-Press will be following Scott during his tour today. Check news-press.com for updates.

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