Sen. Bill Nelson talks water projects, beach erosion in St. Lucie County

FORT PIERCE — During a meeting with St. Lucie County leaders, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson pushed for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin work on two reservoir projects aimed at storing and treating polluted water entering the St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon.

The Corps is scheduled to start design work on the C-23 and C-24 north reservoir in St. Lucie County before September, but the design work cannot be started until the Corps finalizes a work plan for all of their projects for the rest of the year.

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Nelson also sent a letter to the Corps Friday, urging the Corps to fund the design phase of the project.

He said he understood the Corps might struggle to fund each Indian River Lagoon project, but funding each project in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan will keep the overall Everglades restoration program "on track."

"Floridians on the Treasure Coast understand all too well the need to get these pieces moving, after experiencing the devastating algae blooms in recent years," Nelson said in the letter.

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Beach erosion

Nelson also listened to county leaders who are looking for more federal funding for beach erosion projects.

In St. Lucie County, beaches from the Fort Pierce Inlet south to South Beach Park continually receive significant erosion. The county is still waiting for $2 million in federal funding for renourishment projects after Hurricane Irma.

Lt. Col. Jennifer Reynolds, a deputy district commander for the Corps, said there will be more than 500,000 cubic yards of sand placed in St. Lucie County by the end of the year.

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Daylight saving time

Nelson also said he does not support a plan to make Florida have daylight saving time year round.

Sen. Marco Rubio filed a bill last month that would ask Congress to approve year round daylight saving time. Rubio believes keeping clocks the same year round would eliminate an economic decline that sets in every November, and predicted that later sunsets could lead to fewer robberies and car crashes.

Rubio filed the bill after the Florida Legislature passed a resolution asking Congress to amend existing federal law to allow the change.

When asked about the bill, Nelson said it would not have his support.

“That would be a huge mistake if all of a sudden, you can imagine airline schedules trying to figure out that Florida is a different time than the rest of the 49 states,” Nelson said. “It would be an absolute nightmare.”

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