Florida Governor Rick Scott is urging lawmakers to put $50 million into repairs for Lake Okeechobee’s Herbert Hoover dike.
The federal government is fast-tracking repairs on the earthen dike, and Governor Scott wants state dollars so work can begin even sooner.
When it comes to water quality in South Florida Scott has repeatedly called for improving the barrier. In April of this year he requested $200 million for repairs in the middle of the legislative session.
“If we can start working to fix the dike, we can help solve a lot of the water issues we’ve seen with Lake O,” Scott said at the time. “Repairing the dike is key to enhancing the water quality in south Florida and I’m going to be very aggressive at doing whatever we can to protect our environment.”
Hurricane Irma raised concerns about the dike’s ability to withstand high winds and a deluge of storm water.
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