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The senator's role in resisting aquifer injection of waste water was cited as a primary accomplishment.
By ROBERT KING
© St. Petersburg Times, published November 17, 2001
State Sen. Ginny Brown-Waite was one of three state legislators honored recently by the Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club for work on environmental issues.
Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, was given one of three Legislator of the Year awards at the Sierra Club's weekend Conservation Conference in Ocala.
Sierra Club spokeswoman Susie Caplowe credited Brown-Waite with helping to safeguard the state's drinking water by slowing the progress of a bill that would have allowed pumping of untreated water into the aquifer.
The bill passed both the House and Senate but its leading supporters, including Gov. Jeb Bush, pulled it from consideration after public opposition to the bill became so intense. Brown-Waite was one of seven senators to vote against it.
Caplowe praised Brown-Waite for, at one point, chiding the state's Department of Environmental Protection for making the proposal to relax standards for the treatment of water pumped into the aquifer.
"She stood up on the Senate floor and called DEP "Don't Expect Protection,' which a lot of us do," Caplowe said.
Brown-Waite, in a statement from her office, said: "Florida's delicate environment has always been an issue that I remain committed to . . . I think everyone will agree our goal is to find more efficient and effective means of managing our water resources while still protecting Florida's natural resources."
Caplowe also noted that Brown-Waite sponsored legislation that prevents homeowner associations and local governments from restricting xeriscaping -- the use of native plants that require little water.
Aside from Brown-Waite, the Sierra Club gave similar awards to state Rep. Larry Crow, R-Palm Harbor, and state Rep. Cindy Lerner, D-Miami.