Eco-voice is a non-partisan, independent, volunteer-run organization, which endeavors to communicate multiple positions on important environmental issues effecting south Florida. The opinions posted on this site are not necessarily those of the site managers or all of our sponsors. Comments on postings can be made on our Facebook page or sent to the moderator, ecovoicemoderator@msn.com for posting to our website.
License to solicit: A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES By CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.'' REGISTRATION# CH31394. "
Ann Marie O'Phelan, Special to Cape Life2:13 p.m. EDT July 2, 2015
Cruising up the Caloosahatchee on a triple-deck paddle-wheeler isn't the same as taking a motorized boat or a Jet Ski out on the water. The Capt. J.P, offered by JC Cruises, is a chance for passengers to take a trip back in time and enjoy the experience of boating at a slower pace.
The cruise up the Caloosahatchee to the Franklin Lock takes about 4.5 hours all told. Along the way, passengers are free to move around to any of the three decks, including the open-air upper deck, while enjoying an interesting narrated tour of the trip.
"Our cruises appeal to all ages," said Cynthia Pledger, one of the owners of the family-owned and operated JC Cruises, a business that has been located in the Fort Myers Yacht Basin in downtown Fort Myers for more than 20 years.
Indeed there is something about a relaxing cruise that most would enjoy. It's a chance to see dolphins and pelicans, watch other boaters passing by, spot historical land markers, such as the Tice Railroad Bridge, built in 1903, and enjoy the experience of going in and out of the Franklin Lock, with fresh water on one side and sea water on the other.
The narration by Captain Joe Pledger is none too little or too much. Although he's no doubt seen many of the same sights on the multitude of times he's taken the paddle-wheeler up the Caloosahatchee and back, it's clear that he enjoys the trip as much as the passengers do. "Look at the bottlenose dolphins!" said Pledger, as he explained a bit about their habitat.
In addition to pointing out the sea creatures and wildlife, Pledger also explained what the boat is passing by, such as the local bridges and waterway mile markers, and talks about the boat itself - 130 feet in length and 30 feet wide.
What's equally enjoyable is that on the two inside decks, the fun starts taking place right after the buffet - a selection of herb-roasted chicken, baked ziti, Caesar salad, vegetables, rolls, dessert and more - is cleared away. Once it's cleared, up comes the music, the dancing and the DJ, at least for those who want to hang out in the lower decks.
Those who prefer a quieter cruise can find plenty of places to sit back and take in the sights until the boat is docked once again. The upper open-air deck is one such spot as are the smaller decks on the first two levels of the front of the boat.
There are a variety of cruises offered by JC Cruises, including a Gulf of Mexico Cruise, a Harbor Cruise, an Intracoastal Waterway Cruise, a Lake Okeechobee Cruise, and a Dinner Dance Cruise. They vary in dates and times, as well as lengths of cruises. Some are a few hours, while others are a full day. Private charters are also available.
For those who want to see the fireworks on the
Fourth of July
, there are still tickets available on a cruise that boards at 7 p.m., sails at 7:30 p.m. and returns at 10:30 p.m. The trip is $48.93 and includes the boat ride, a buffet dinner, music with a DJ, and taxes and gratuity.
The Fourth of July cruise is a great way to see many points of interest, including those colorful fireworks in the sky.
If you go
What:J.C. Cruises
Where:2313 Edwards Drive, Fort Myers. Located in the downtown Fort Myers Yacht Basin between the Edison Bridge and the
Caloosahatchee Bridge
on the south side of the Caloosahatchee River. By boat, the Yacht Basin Marina is at Mile Marker 135 on the Okeechobee Waterway, 15 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico.
In simultaneous press conferences in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida, the attorneys general of the states most directly impacted by the massive 2010 BP spill announced a "global deal" to settle years of litigation with the oil giant for a total of $18.7 billion.
"Today, I am pleased to say that after productive discussions with BP over the previous several weeks, we have reached an agreement in principle that would justly and comprehensively address outstanding federal and state claims, including Clean Water Act civil penalties and natural resource damages," U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynchsaidin a statement. "BP is also resolving significant economic claims with the impacted state and local governments."
Lynch said the agreement in principle would be worked into a consent decree, which would then undergo a public comment period.
"If approved by the court," she said, "this settlement would be the largest settlement with a single entity in American history."
Louisiana Attorney General Caldwell called the agreement a "game changer" - "the largest environmental settlement in history." Gov. Robert Bentley (R-AL) called it a "landmark agreement."
Calling April 20, 2010 "a day Alabamians will never forget," Gov. Bentley described the enormous impact the spill had on tourism, coastal businesses, and public health before providing more details about the settlement.
"The BP/ Deepwater Horizon oil spill was the worst environmental disaster in United States history, and the impact to the Alabama Gulf Coast was detrimental," hesaid.
Bentley was the only governor to attend his state's press conference announcing the Gulf States settlement, calling it a "significant step forward," that would help Alabama "become a stronger, safer and more resilient state as a result of this terrible disaster." He also thanked BP for coming to the table and "settling this in a fair way."
Last year, BP's lawyersfoughtall the way to the Supreme Court to cap the amount of Gulf oil spill-related fines it must pay at $12 billion, almost a third less than the amount U.S. prosecutors sought.
The Supreme Courtrefusedto hear their case, confirming a District Court judge's finding of "gross negligence," which triggers the maximum permissible fine - up to $18 billion.
A federal judge was preparing to announce how much the company owed in Clean Water Act penalties because of the damage the spill caused to the environment. The settlement goes to resolve those penalties as well as claims involving natural resource damage and local government economic damage. It will also settle state economic claims.
This does not include cleanup costs BP has already incurred, nor a separate settlement with businesses and individuals over spill-related losses. The Wall Street Journal estimates that, combined with Thursday's announced settlement, BP will have paid$53.8 billionas a result of the spill.
However, the damage caused by the spill could actually be larger than what is reflected in the settlement.
"$18.7 billion may sound like a lot of money, and it is, but it pales in comparison to what BP owes," said Jacqueline Savitz, vice president of Oceana. "The Clean Water Act violations should have amounted to $13.7 billion alone, due to the company's gross negligence and the sheer amount of oil they spilled. And that's using conservative estimates."
Savitz noted that under the Oil Pollution Act, BP has to pay for the natural resources the spill destroyed.
"The exact amount is still being worked out by NOAA, but based on the amounts paid for a much smaller spill, the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, these damages could be in the $30 billion range," she said. "Even if it's a smaller amount, it's certainly a lot more than the $7.1 billion they are proposing to pay in this settlement."
Put another way, the $18.7 billion settlement is comprised of $5.5 billion in Clean Water Act penalties, $7.1 billion in natural resource damages, and $4.9 billion in economic damages. The state settlements will be paid out over the next 18 years, while federal penalties will be paid over the next 15 years.....
The world's sea life faces an unprecedented crisis from ocean acidification. Left unchecked, acidification will drive a mass extinction in our oceans, with corals and shellfish hit hard first and the effects rippling through the food web to harm all marine life, from fish to whales to otters.
But there's still time to change course. That's why this week the Center for Biological Diversity and former Environmental Protection Agency scientist Dr. Donn Viviani petitioned the Obama administration to regulate carbon dioxide under the federal Toxic Substances Control Act. This first-of-its-kind petition seeks widespread reduction of CO2 by classifying it as a toxic substance -- just as has been done for asbestos and PCBs. The measure would complement other efforts to reduce CO2.
Some 22 million tons of CO2 are absorbed by our oceans every day. That has to change.
"Future generations will look back and wonder why we didn't do everything we could to save the world's oceans," said the Center's Miyoko Sakashita. "Failure to act is a decision to let our sea life die off and disappear. We can't let that happen."
FPL to seek approval to build $1.2 billion natural gas plant in Okeechobee County. (Provided)
Florida Power & Light Co. said today it plans to build a new $1.2 billion combined cycle natural gas-fired plant in northeastern Okeechobee County on 2,800 acres of pasture land that it already owns.
If approved by regulators, the plant would begin producing 1,600 megawatts, enough electricity to power more than 300,000 homes, in 2019. The plant would occupy about 200 acres at the site.
The facility would complement other major system improvements, including the three new large-scale solar power plants Juno Beach-based FPL is building before the end of 2016.
The plant will be similar to FPL's modernized plants in Riviera Beach, Cape Canaveral and at Port Everglades in Hollywood. Its Cape Canaveral plant went into service in 2013, and Riviera Beach in 2014, with Port Everglades scheduled to begin operating in 2016.
"We're building on our successful strategy of phasing out older, inefficient facilities and replacing them with advanced, high-efficiency clean-energy technology in a way that ensures we can meet the growing energy needs of Floridians while keeping their electric rates low," said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL. "The strategy is working: our system is among the cleanest and most fuel-efficient in the U.S., and our typical customer bills are about 30 percent lower than the national average." Okeechobee County Commission vice chairman Bryant Culpepper, said today, "I am excited beyond explanation. Okeechobee is a small county in the inner part of the state. We have been struggling economically."
FPL said the plant will provide an average of 300 jobs during two years of construction, and more than 30 jobs when it is completed.
Okeechobee County is a 725-square-mile largely rural county with a permanent population of around 40,000 that swells to by another 15,000 to 20,000 during the winter. It's known for fishing on Lake Okeechobee, cattle ranching and dairy farming.
Culpepper, who moved from Palm Beach County 13 years ago, said in addition to providing jobs, the plant will most likely attract other industrial-type businesses.
"I don't see a single negative to this whole project. It is going to be a boom for Okeechobee as far as bringing some things we need here, such as additional jobs," Culpepper said.
The proposed site is also ideal because it is on the natural gas line that will serve it.
"It does not have a negative impact," Culpepper said. "It is in a remote area on the other side (east) of the turnpike."
John Williams, a seventh-generation Florida cattle rancher who chairs the Okeechobee Economic Council, said, "It is a nice fit for an agricultural community. It is up in a section of the county cut off by the Turnpike. Access to it will come from Highway 60 from Indian River County."
Williams said he could not recall anything similar that has drawn as much community support as the proposed plant.
Before the plant can be built, plans must undergo comprehensive reviews by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Public Service Commission and a number of other county, state and federal government agencies. That process is expected to take 14 to 16 months.
FPL serves approximately 4.8 million customer accounts in Florida and expects to have 5 million customer accounts serving more than 10 million people by 2019.
In Hendry County - Vote on proposed gas plant there scheduled for July 14.
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Eco-voice is a non-partisan, independent, volunteer-run organization, which endeavors to communicate multiple positions on important environmental issues effecting south Florida. The opinions posted on this site are not necessarily those of the site managers or all of our sponsors. Comments on postings can be made on our Facebook page or sent to the moderator, ecovoicemoderator@msn.com for posting to our website.
License to solicit: A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES By CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.'' REGISTRATION# CH31394. "
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