Commissioner wants state of emergency over fish kills

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Fish kills are taking a terrible toll in Brevard County in the Indian River Lagoon.  Thousands of dead fish are creating an ugly, smelly mess and raising health questions.  Now, a county leader wants Governor Rick Scott to get more involved to solve the problem.

Thursday evening, a bunch of dead fish could be seen floating and washing ashore on the edge of the Indian River Lagoon.  It’s creating a nasty mess to clean up and raising health questions. Some scientists blame huge algae blooms, but many people want more details on what is going wrong.

“My biggest concerns are the health and safety of the public,” says Brevard County Commissioner Trudie Infantini.

She wants to know if it is safe for her grandchildren to swim in the water, and she wonders what happens if fishermen eat what they catch.  She says if the Indian River Lagoon is dead, families will not vacation there.

The commissioner says, “Most people understand the importance of the lagoon to health, safety and tourism.”

This Tuesday, at the next county commissioners’ meeting, Infantini plans to introduce a resolution asking her colleagues to declare the lagoon the commission’s highest priority.  Infantini also will request that Governor Rick Scott declare a state of emergency in Brevard County. 

Infantini has a question for the Governor. “Will you please redirect some of your spending to the lagoon so we can find out finally what is causing these fish kills.”

Work crews are still cleaning up fish kills near the lagoon as the fish die.