THE DRIVER OF THE CAR WAS TAKEN
INTO CUSTODY.
NOW, AT 6:00, THE TOXIC
BLUE-GREEN ALGAE CRISIS.
REMEMBER THIS HORRIFIC SCENE
FROM LAST SPRING?
BEACHES ALONG SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
WERE CLOSED AND BUSINESSES LOST
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
CBS 4 INVESTIGATOR JIM FACITI
SET OUT TO FIND OUT HOW IT GOT
THERE AND WHO IS RESPONSIBLE
AND WHY OUR DRINKING WATER IS
STILL AT RISK.
IT IS THE TOPIC OF A ONE-HOUR
DOCUMENTARY AIRING RIGHT HERE
ON CBS 4 AT 7:00 P.M.
AND HERE IS A PREVIEW OF THE
EVERGLADES, WHERE POLITIC, RACE
AND MONEY COLLIDE.
FROM THE VERY OUTSET OF THIS
MAN MADE TRAGEDY, EMOTIONS RAN
HIGH.
TRY TO SELL A WATERFRONT
HOME WHEN THE WATER IS GREEN
STINKY SLIME ON THE WATER.
GOOD LUCK BEING A REALTOR IN
THAT ENVIRONMENT.
I WILL CATCH HELL FOR THIS
BUT IT WON'T BE THE FIRST TIME,
AND I'M SORRY BUT WHEN YOU'RE
LIVING ON THE INT COASTAL
WATERWAY IN THE SOUTH OF
FLORIDA AND YOUR $300,000 BOAT
HAS A LITTLE ALGAE UP AGAINST
IT, I CAN'T SHED A TEAR.
HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?
JIM SPENT MORE THAN A YEAR
TRACING THE ALGAE BLOOM AND
FINDING OUT HOW ALONG THE WAY
THE ECONOMICALLY RAVAGED
COMMUNITIES AROUND THE LAKE ARE
CAUGHT IN COMPETING INTERESTS.
I DON'T THINK PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND WHY ANYBODY WOULD
WANT TO LIVE HERE.
I THINK IT IS THE WORST PLACE
ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.
WE SEARCHED FOR THE ANSWERS
IN THE SWAMPS OF SOUTH FLORIDA.
THE HALLS OF THE CAPITOL IN
TALLAHASSEE.
AND RIGHT ON UP TO WASHINGTON.
DO YOU THINK THE FARMING
COMMUNITY HAS BEEN BAD FOR THE
EVERGLADES, BAD FOR FLORIDA?
I DON'T THINK INTENTIONALLY,
BUT CLEARLY, THERE ARE
POLLUTANTS, THERE IS
PESTICIDES, I MEAN THOSE AREN'T
GOOD THINGS, YOU KNOW, FOR A
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT TO EXIST.
OR FOR THE SPECIES THAT EXIST
WITHIN THAT NATURAL
ENVIRONMENT.
IT KILLS STUFF.
I BELIEVE WE CAN DO A LOT TO
RESTORE THE EVER GLADE, AND AT
THE SAME TIME, NOT HAVE TO WIPE
OUT THE COMMUNITY.
Reporter:
THE MINUTE WE LOSE THE
ABILITY TO HAVE FRESH WATER IN
SOUTH FLORIDA, THE MI IS GONE.
JOBS ARE GONE.
-- THE ECONOMY IS GONE.
JOBS ARE GONE.
AND WE HAVE TO RE-EXAMINE OUR
WATER SUPPLY.
LOOKING AT THE AREA OF THE
BLADES OF GRASS.
HAVE THERE BEEN FRICTION
BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR BROTHER?
YES.
AND CERTAINLY, IT IS WORTH
FIGHTING AND RAISING HELL
ABOUT.
THE EVERGLADES.
WHERE POLITICS, MONEY, AND RACE
COLLIDE.
THIS IS AIRING JUST IN 45
MINUTES.
SO MAKE SURE YOU STICK AROUND.
AND WATCH IT.
WE HAVE JIM HERE.
SO THIS WAS A BIG EFFORT, YOU
WERE TELLING ME, YESTERDAY,
THAT THIS TOOK YOU ABOUT A YEAR
TO PUT TOGETHER?
IT TOOK A YEAR.
WE INTERVIEWED MANY, MANY
INDIVIDUALS AS YOU SAW.
GOT A SENSE OF IT.
WE TRIED TO GO THROUGH BOB
GRAY, AND CHARLIE CYST, AND JEB
BUSH, AND MARCO RUBIO, WE
TALKED TO FOLKS IN THE GLADES
COMMUNITIES, FOLKS ON THE
TREASURE COAST WHO WERE
AFFECTED BY THIS, AND YOU KNOW,
WE HAVE TRIED TO COVER FROM
EVERY ANGLE YOU CAN, AND WHAT
YOU REALIZE IS, THIS IS SUCH A
COMPLEX SUBJECT, AND SO MANY
INTERCHANGING AND INTERLOCKING
FEATURES THAT YOU COULDN'T DO
IT IN JUST A FEW MINUTES OR A
LITTLE BIT OF TIME SO CBS MADE
THE COMMITMENT TO DO AN HOUR
WITHOUT COMMERCIALS.
WHY SHOULD SOUTH FLORIDIANS
WATCH THIS?
WHY DOES IT AFFECT US?
LET'S FACE.
IT A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THINK
THAT EVERGLADES ARE MOSQUITO
RIDDEN AND ALLIGATORS AND EVEN
THOUGH THEY LIVE HERE, THEY
NEVER VISIT.
IT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IF THE
WATER THAT COMES THROUGH THE
EVERGLADES ISN'T EVENTUALLY
CLEANED AND WORKED ITS WAY INTO
THE AQUIFER AND WE DON'T HAVE
DRINKING WATER.
THAT'S WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO.
WE HAVE TWO CHOICES.
WE CAN EITHER BLAST THE WATER
THAT COMES OUT OF LAKE
OKEECHOBEE EAST AND WEST WHICH
THEN CREATES ALGAE BLOSSOMS
BECAUSE THE LAKE IS SO POLLUTED
WITH PHOSPHOROUS AND NITROGEN
THAT COMES DOWN FROM ORLANDO,
OR FIGURE OUT WAYS TO DEAL WITH
IT, AND BRING IT SOUTH AND
RESTORE THE RIVER OF GRASS AND
RESTORE THE EVERGLADES AND
REPLENISH OUR AQUIFER AND GET
THE SYSTEM RIGHT.
BECAUSE IF WE DON'T DO IT, WE
ARE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE.
THINK OF IT THIS WAY, TOO.
IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT TURNING
ON YOUR TAP AND HAVING DRINKING
WATER, FLORIDA IS A PLACE OF
TOURISM.
IF WE END UP FOULING OUR
BEACHES WITH BLUE GREEN ALGAE
LIKE WE DID IN 2016, WHO IS
GOING TO VISIT FLORIDA?
IT PUTS OUR ECONOMY AT RISK.
WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO
THIS PIECE, AIRING IN JUST A
FEW MINUTES.
IN ABOUT 30 MINUTES.
THIS WILL BE AN EYE-OPENING
INVESTIGATION.
YOU ARE GOING TO WANT TO WATCH.
IT ONE HOUR.
NO COMMERCIALS.
PART OF OUR STATION'S
COMMITMENT TO CRITICAL ISSUES
ON OUR COMMUNITY.
WHERE POLITICS, MONEY AND RACE