BRADENTON – With more than 300 Floridians turning out to a public hearing in Naples last week to voice their opposition to drilling and acid fracking near the Everglades National Park, the Environmental Protection Agency has responded by extending the public comment period on this issue.

Almost the entirety of public comment at the meeting was to urge the EPA to reject a permit for a disposal well that would have allowed the oil and gas industry to inject toxic waste into the ground.

Environmental groups feared not only the direct consequences to water quality and wildlife habitat, but the possibility that it could set the stage for acid fracking.

The proposed area is a critical recharge area for the essential wetlands and is only about 1,000 feet from the closest homes. The deadline has been extended to the end of March. Citizens can click here to give public comment electronically through Environment Florida, a non-profit environmental advocacy group opposed to the permit.

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