EMERALD COASTKEEPER COASTLINE NEWS

WINTER 2010

A Letter from your Coastkeeper Chasidy Fisher Hobbs

Tap Water- Pros and Cons

I drink filtered tap water; I am not fooled by the myth that bottled
water is safer (in fact it is far less regulated than tap water!) I was,
therefore, disturbed to read a report which ranked our drinking water
at the very bottom of a national list for drinking water quality.
The Environmental Working Group recently analyzed nearly 20
million water quality records obtained from 45 states and the District of
Columbia over a three year period. They found 316 pollutants in tap
water throughout the United States; over half of these pollutants are
not regulated by the EPA. What this means is that these unregulated
chemicals can legally be present at any amounts in our drinking water.
The Environmental
Working Group (EWG) is
INSIDE a non-profit, non-partisan
team of scientists,
PAGE 1 engineers, policy experts,
A LETTER FROM lawyers and computer
YOUR programmers whose sole
COASTKEEPER mission is to shed light on
environmental and human
health issues. EWG rated
PAGE 2 “big city (population over
RED TIDES IN THE 250,000)” water utilities
CHOCTAWHATCHEE based on three factors: 1.
ESTUARY the total number of
chemicals found between
2004 and 2008; 2. the
EMERALD percentage of chemicals
COASTKEEPER 2010 found of those tested; and
GALA 3. the highest average level
for an individual pollutant.
Our water ranked 100th
on the list of 100 largest
PAGE 3
utilities rated; that is dead
EVENTS CALENDAR
last. EWG found 45
chemicals in ECUA
provided drinking water
PAGE 4 (the national average was
MEMBER HELP 8!); only 13 of those 45
pollutants are naturally occurring; the others are from industry,
agriculture, urbanism, etc.
 This information has confused many ECUA customers. Didn’t
they just win an award for their water quality? Actually, yes, they did.
ECUA won “Best Tasting Water”, three times actually. And, ECUA did
not have a single drinking water quality standard violation during the
period of the EWG study.
In fact, ECUA has done an excellent job as stewards of our water
resources including being a big proponent of moving the Main Street
wastewater treatment plant away from Pensacola Bay. They have
diligently provided what EPA deems to be safe and healthy drinking
water to their customers.
So, why the contradiction between ECUA reports and the EWG
report? Frankly, there isn’t one. ECUA’s response to the EWG report is
like saying the sky is blue because birds fly. Both are true.
The purpose of EWG’s study was not to panic communities into
thinking their drinking water was poisoned. The point was to shed light
on the following facts: 1. there are thousands of chemicals being
discharged into the environmental which did not exist when EPA
created drinking water standards; 2. there are hundreds of chemicals in
our drinking water which we have no idea what the safe limits are; 3.
these chemicals are in our water legally and utilities are under no
obligation to report them to us; and, most importantly 4. EPA must do
a better job at protecting and regulating our drinking water, period.
If there are no health limits for particular chemicals found in
drinking water then there are no legal standards for them either. This
means that utilities can legally call the water they deliver safe and
healthy regardless of how much of each unregulated chemical is
delivered along with that water. The state of Florida and ECUA are
under no legal obligation to remove these chemicals from our water or
even to tell us they present. They also are under no obligation to wait
for the EPA to begin removing these chemicals from our water; of
course then you would have resist complaining about paying more for
the only thing you cannot live without for more than a week.
Remember, you get what you pay for.
If you have any questions for your Coastkeeper Chasidy Hobbs, please feel free
to email her at chasidy@emeraldcoastkeeper.org

INFO@EMERALDCOASTKEEPER.ORG P.O. BOX 13283 PENSACOLA, FL 32591 (850) 429-8422 www.emeraldcoastkeeper.org

 EMERALD COASTKEEPER COASTLINE NEWS
WINTER 2010

Red Tides in the Choctawhatchee Estuary

Dr. Allison Beauregard, of the Mattie Kelly Environmental Institute at Northwest Florida State College, and Dr. Matthew Schwartz, of the
University of West Florida's Environmental Studies Department are conducting an ongoing collaborative project related to water quality issues in
western Choctawhatchee Bay. Their project is focused on the occurrence of red tides and includes a comparison between two local bayous - one
that has a history of red tide outbreaks and one that has no history of red tide outbreaks. Drs. Beauregard and Schwartz are investigating the
patterns for these red tides, the underlying causes of red tides, and the influence of local land use on red
tide occurrence.

The project includes three components 1) routine

sampling of water quality parameters (dissolved
oxygen, chlorophyll a concentration, and nutrient
concentrations) in the bayous; 2) bioassay incubation
experiments using water collected from the two local
bayous; and 3) weekly monitoring of the
phytoplankton species present. This project (now in its Dr. Allison Beauregard processing water
third year) involves undergraduate and graduate samples back in the lab.

students from both University of West Florida and

Dr. Matthew Schwartz getting ready to collect water Northwest Florida State College. Results from this study have been presented at regional and
samples from our “mobile lab” in the back of our car. national meetings, including the October 2009 American Geophysical Union’s international
meeting in Portland, OR; the annual SEASTARS event at UWF (Pensacola, FL); and the Mattie
Kelly Environmental Institute’s annual Scientific Symposium in Niceville, FL.

Gala 2010
We Changed the Date (and the location!)

The new year has come with many new and
wonderful changes for Emerald Coastkeeper:
a new office space (and free, thanks to Board
member Brenda Bischoff), a new Coastkeeper
(Chasidy Fisher Hobbs) and several wonderful
and enthusiastic new Board of Directors’
members. With all these changes, Emerald
Coastkeeper’s Board of Directors decided to
hold our Gala in May as opposed to February.
New World Landing was very gracious in
their proposal to hold our Gala at their
gorgeous location, so we opted not only to
change the date, but the venue as well.
So- mark your calendars! Emerald
Coastkeeper’s 2010 Gala will be held at 600
South Palafox at New World Landing on
Saturday, May 22nd from 6:30-9pm. We will
have music, a cash bar, auctions, food- you
name it!
This means we are looking for auction items,
sponsorship, volunteers and guests. Tickets
are $30/person, and $50/couple. If you
would like to purchase tickets, please email
Chasidy at chasidy@emeraldcoastkeeper.org,
you can also call our office at (850) 429-8422
for more information. If you would like to
volunteer, we have a wide array of needs-
from phone calls, to picking up auction
donations, to stuffing auction baskets, to
helping set up the day of the event. If you
would like to volunteer, please call Elizabeth
McWilliams on her cell phone (850)
221-9205. If you would like to donate an
auction item, or become a sponsor, please be
in touch with Chasidy via email
(chasidy@emeraldcoastkeeper.org) or on the
Coastkeeper phone (850) 429-8422.
Last year’s Gala was a blast and a huge
success! Let’s make this year even better!
GALA 2010
MAY 22ND
600 SOUTH
PALAFOX
6:30-9 pm
Tickets $30/person, $50/
couple
“Every year Emerald Coastkeeper’s Gala is
more and more fun! Last year, we had over
300 people. Plus, this is the main fundraising
event of the whole year for Emerald
Coastkeeper. They don’t take a dime of our
tax money, and they spend their time
defending our waters- they need our help
and support to continue to fight the good
fight! Buy a ticket, donate an item for their
auction, or sponsor the event, but make
sure to come and bring your friends- this is
a fun crowd!”
Elizabeth McWilliams
Board of Directors’ Member

INFO@EMERALDCOASTKEEPER.ORG P.O. BOX 13283 PENSACOLA, FL 32591 (850) 429-8422 www.emeraldcoastkeeper.org

 EMERALD COASTKEEPER COASTLINE NEWS
WINTER 2010

“What’s In Your Drinking OUTINGS AND

Water” Forum
Emerald Coastkeeper Chasidy Fisher Hobbs set up a panel of EVENTS
speakers from the E.P.A., the Florida D.E.P., E.C.U.A. and Emerald Coastkeeper would love
others to come speak about the recent EWG report about to come to your neighborhood,
Pensacola’s drinking water. This event is free and open to the church, rotary club or anywhere
public, but we encourage those who come to become
you would like us to go! We make
members. It will be held on Wednesday, February 10th at 6
it a priority to find out how to
pm at PJC’s Hagler Auditorium.
best serve our members. Please
be in touch if you would like us
Hands Across the Sand to come speak with your group.
Emerald Coastkeeper is joining other groups to show solidarity
against offshore drilling in Florida waters. Come to Pensacola Beach’s Pier at 12 pm (noon) on Saturday,
February 13th and we will all hold hands at 12:30 to show solidarity against oil in our water. This event FEBRUARY
is free and open to the public, become a member of Emerald Coastkeeper to show your support. Wednesday, February 10th 6-8
pm “What’s in Your Drinking
Destin Member Meeting Water” Forum at PJC’s Hagler
Emerald Coastkeeper is excited to meet our members in the Destin area, and to recruit new Auditorium
members as well! We will post the date of this meeting on our website and Facebook as we get the
details.
Saturday, February 13th 12-1 pm
Pensacola Beach Pier “Hands
Destin Paddle Trip
Across the Sand”
Saturday, April 3rd come to the Red Bar to paddle the Western Lake. We will meet in front of the
Red Bar at eleven am. The Red Bar is located at 70 Hotz Ave. Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459. We will
spend about an hour and a half out on the water. The fabulous Yoloboard crew will be there for those MARCH
who want to rent a Yoloboard ($35/person, there are only 12 available, so reserve early). For those who Member Meeting in Destin
wish to bring their own kayaks, canoes and paddle boards, bring them along! Coastkeeper Chasidy
Fisher Hobbs will give a small talk about Emerald Coastkeeper, and then Yoloboard representative APRIL
Justin will lead our group on an eco-tour of the Western Lake To reserve a Yoloboard, please email us Saturday, April 3rd come
at info@emeraldcoastkeeper.org.
Yoloboarding with Emerald
Coastkeeper. Meet in front of the
Earth Day
Red Bar at 11 am. RSVP to
Saturday, April 24th come to Bayview Park in Pensacola for the annual Earth Day celebration!
Emerald Coastkeeper will have our regular booth with information and sign up sheets for future outings reserve a board.
and events. At 5:30 pm meet us at the boat ramp for a sunset paddle with Coastkeeper Chasidy Fisher
Hobbs. Boats will not be provided. Earth Day: Saturday, April 24th at
Bayview Park. Join Emerald
2010 GALA Coastkeeper on a sunset paddle
Saturday, May 22nd come to New World Landing at 600 South Palafox in downtown Pensacola of Bayou Texar. Meet at the boat
for our annual Gala! Details are on the previous page. ramp at 5:30.

MAY
WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST BOARD OF
Saturday, May 22nd Emerald
DIRECTORS Coastkeeper’s Annual Gala 6:30-9
Greg Atchley, Allison Beauregard, Laurie Bozeman, Derek Cosson, Chips Kirschenfeld, at 600 South Palafox in
Elizabeth McWilliams, Matthew Schwartz downtown Pensacola.

As a non-profit, Emerald Coastkeeper could not exist without the commitment and
enthusiasm of our Board of Directors. Each Board member serves on at least one
Committee. If you would like to donate your time to Emerald Coastkeeper by serving on a
Committee, please contact us at info@emeraldcoastkeeper.org

INFO@EMERALDCOASTKEEPER.ORG P.O. BOX 13283 PENSACOLA, FL 32591 (850) 429-8422 www.emeraldcoastkeeper.org

 EMERALD COASTKEEPER COASTLINE NEWS
THANK YOU
PRO-LEGAL!
Pro-Legal Copies of Pensacola
provides Emerald Coastkeeper’s
newsletter printing for free. Please
support our gracious sponsor by using
them for your printing needs.
331 W. Government St.
Pensacola, FL 32502
Phone: 850-470-9779
Fax: 850-470-9885
Emerald COASTKEEPER®, Inc.
P.O. Box 13283
Pensacola, FL 32591
info@emeraldcoastkeeper.org
www.emeraldcoastkeeper.org
WINTER 2010
WEBSITE
Emerald Coastkeeper’s new Board member Derek Cosson (of
progressivepensacola.com) has offered his services to improve our website. Along
with many new features, look for our PayPal activation starting the first of March.
Use PayPal to purchase Gala tickets, renew your membership and donate to
Emerald Coastkeeper with your credit or debit card. Thanks for your support, and
thanks for your hard work Derek!
EMAIL
Emerald Coastkeeper would love to send
you your newsletters by email! Sending our
newsletters out electronically will save us
thousands of dollars in postage costs, not to VOLUNTEERS
mention the environmental cost of printing and
shipping these newsletters four times a year. If Emerald Coastkeeper needs your help!
you would like to receive the newsletters via Please email us about our many diverse
email, please email us at volunteer needs
info@emeraldcoastkeeper.org and let us know. (info@emeraldcoastkeeper.org). We look
forward to getting you involved!
Thank you!