TALLAHASSE, Fla. (AP) - A plan by a top Florida Republican to deal with toxic algae discharges is undergoing a major overhaul.
Senate President Joe Negron said Tuesday that he and other senators were scaling back the size and cost of a plan to build a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee.
The new project would decrease the project’s acreage while maintaining the goal of storing between 100 billion and 120 billion gallons of water by deepening the reservoir 14 feet.
The amendment also proposes grants that establish training programs for farmers who could lose their jobs if farmland is acquired to build the reservoir.
Negron decided to change his proposal amid opposition from the sugar industry. Other top Republicans, including Gov. Rick Scott, had not embraced the proposal either.
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