FDEP emails Available
Some of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s emails regarding the city of Marco Island are now available on the blog for searching. See link on blog’s mast.
On December 3, 2007 this blog made a Florida Statute 119 request for all emails with attachments related to the city of Marco Island.
The purpose of this Freedom of Information (119) request was to ascertain the reasons as to why the FDEP – charged with “protecting our air, water, and land”, did not prosecute the crushing of asbestos in the open, the dumping of asbestos, the pumping of effluent into the waterways and the release of toxic hydrogen sulfide gas into the air which caused hundreds of people to seek medical attention.
After ten (10) months of obfuscation, delay tactics and outright mendacity, the FDEP produced approximately 9,000 emails.
Of these emails, there is a subset that are useless. Many are “newspaper clippings”, many are re-re-re-forwards of emails and some have nothing to do with Marco Island. Hence, approximately 7,500 emails are available for searching.
More disturbing, and in clear violation of the law, is that not all of the emails related to the city of Marco Island have been produced. We know this to be a fact for two reasons:
First, we have emails to and from the FDEP that were not produced. And some emails that were produced are missing the attachments.
Secondly, and the most revealing, is that the FDEP claimed early in the 119-process that the delay was due to a criminal case related to Marco Island, even noting a case number from 2006. The emails make no mention whatsoever of this case.
Nevertheless, the emails are quite revealing. In but one disgusting example, we learn that the public works director had no idea as to the regulatory requirement for testing water when a water main breaks – a water main made with asbestos. In this same exchange, it is revealed that the water – the water consumed by the residents and tourists – had not been tested for four (4) years. Anywhere else that public works director would be fired at the minimum and prosecuted as the norm.
For those very few residents that still care about Marco Island, the FDEP emails are available for your review.
Wishing you (few) the very best of luck.
On December 3, 2007 this blog made a Florida Statute 119 request for all emails with attachments related to the city of Marco Island.
The purpose of this Freedom of Information (119) request was to ascertain the reasons as to why the FDEP – charged with “protecting our air, water, and land”, did not prosecute the crushing of asbestos in the open, the dumping of asbestos, the pumping of effluent into the waterways and the release of toxic hydrogen sulfide gas into the air which caused hundreds of people to seek medical attention.
After ten (10) months of obfuscation, delay tactics and outright mendacity, the FDEP produced approximately 9,000 emails.
Of these emails, there is a subset that are useless. Many are “newspaper clippings”, many are re-re-re-forwards of emails and some have nothing to do with Marco Island. Hence, approximately 7,500 emails are available for searching.
More disturbing, and in clear violation of the law, is that not all of the emails related to the city of Marco Island have been produced. We know this to be a fact for two reasons:
First, we have emails to and from the FDEP that were not produced. And some emails that were produced are missing the attachments.
Secondly, and the most revealing, is that the FDEP claimed early in the 119-process that the delay was due to a criminal case related to Marco Island, even noting a case number from 2006. The emails make no mention whatsoever of this case.
Nevertheless, the emails are quite revealing. In but one disgusting example, we learn that the public works director had no idea as to the regulatory requirement for testing water when a water main breaks – a water main made with asbestos. In this same exchange, it is revealed that the water – the water consumed by the residents and tourists – had not been tested for four (4) years. Anywhere else that public works director would be fired at the minimum and prosecuted as the norm.
For those very few residents that still care about Marco Island, the FDEP emails are available for your review.
Wishing you (few) the very best of luck.
posted by Mario R. Sanchez, Ph.D. at
10:12 AM
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Number of Comments: 2
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2 Comments:
Thank you Mario for all your hard work and keeping us posted on the corrupt acts of our city government.
By
Anonymous, at Saturday, October 11, 2008 5:14:00 PM
What a treasure of information. If these emails do not lead to the prosecution of the guilty parties then all they will do is raise our collective blood pressure. What hubris.
By
Anonymous, at Saturday, October 11, 2008 6:02:00 PM
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