Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility Takes On the Manatee Crisis in Florida

On this episode, hosts Peter Ravella and Tyler Buckingham talk to Timothy Whitehouse and Jerry Phillips about the manatee die-off currently unfolding in Florida. This crisis, the latest result of the state's poor water quality, has drawn the attention of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), an organization for environmental and public health professionals, land managers, scientists, enforcement officers and other civil servants dedicated to upholding environmental laws and values. Timothy Whitehouse serves as the Executive Director of the national organization, and Jerry Phillips heads up PEER's Florida Chapter. Together, they discuss the root causes of the manatee die-off, the federal and state responses to the situation, and how the water quality issues facing Florida might be effectively managed in the future.