A new Florida law now requires public coastal construction projects to first be reviewed for impacts on the state’s fragile seashore because of rising sea levels, reports CBS Miami.
The measure is being hailed by environmentalists as an important step in addressing the encroaching ocean in a state with more than 1,300 miles of shoreline and where two-thirds of the 22 million residents live along the coast.
The bill was one of 28 signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis June 29, including one that undoes a ban on sunscreen imposed by Key West. The ban was meant to protect fragile coral reefs from the possibly harmful chemicals contained in sun-blocking creams.
The bipartisan bill DeSantis signed on coastal construction is limited to public projects that rely on state money. Under the new law, public construction projects would have to take into account rising sea levels, flooding, and the potential for damage to increasingly fragile coasts.
“The delicate relationship between our coastal communities and the environment requires that our Legislature [to] take meaningful steps to ensure that coastal construction be completed with an understanding of sea-level rise and an appreciation for protecting our natural resources,” said state Rep. Vance Aloupis.
In the Senate, the effort was led by Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, who has been wearing rain boots during recent legislative sessions to bring attention to climate change. Rodriguez has said the measure is another baby step in a political climate that has made it challenging to take quick action on climate change.
A legislative analysis estimated that property values in Florida could sink by more than $300 billion by the end of this century because of rising sea levels.