Emails Show Sugar Lobbyist's Clout
South Florida water managers were on the verge of an agricultural pollution crackdown when they scrapped their plans and let a sugar lobbyist dictate edits to a report that paved the way for weaker regulations, an investigation drawing on hundreds of internal emails and other records shows. “Clearly, U.S. Sugar carries a big stick at the South Florida Water Management District,” a former state environmental counsel says.
From TCpalm:
Amid six emails, three phone calls, four meetings with [U.S. Sugar Corp. lobbyist Irene] Quincey and one meeting that included U.S. Sugar Vice President Malcolm "Bubba" Wade, the district:
-- Asked Quincey for a “list of edits" to the annual report.
-- Had at least six staffers, including the deputy administrator, address her concerns.
-- Reported back to Quincey that all of her concerns had been addressed.
-- Allowed Quincey to do a final review.
-- Finalized the report a month after the Dec. 8 deadline.
-- Proposed a “guillotine list” of words for future reports to avoid "public outcry."
