Gov. DeSantis has sights set on tougher fines for environmental violators

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Gov. Ron DeSantis makes announcement in Naples. (WINK News)

Governor Ron DeSantis has pushed for environmental protection from the get-go with the blue green algae and red tide task forces and the appointment of the state’s first chief science officer.

Wednesday afternoon, he said he has sights set on money and tougher fines for environmental violators.

DeSantis said his office wants to make hundreds of millions of dollars in environmental funding a recurring part of the state’s budget.

In terms of environmental law enforcement, he says the Florida Department of Environmental Protection will oversee an increase in fines that people and municipalities will face and issue daily fines until the problem is fixed.

“Cost of doing business,” said DeSantis. “[What] we end up see happening is you have some of these municipalities, it’s cheaper for them to pay a fine and spew all of this sewage into the waterways because its’ the cost of doing business.”

DeSantis said usually what a local municipality does is not his business, but when it harms state waters, it becomes a state issue.

You can watch the full announcement, made at the Conservancy of SWFL in Naples, in the player below.

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