Trump Signs Bill Creating Reservoir South Of Lake Okeechobee
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MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) -- President Donald Trump has signed a wide-ranging bill to improve the nation's water infrastructure, including a project intended to reduce toxic algae blooms that have devastated coastal marine life and emptied beaches.
The law signed Tuesday will help create a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee designed to filter out toxins that contribute to harmful algae blooms that have killed turtles, fish, and even manatees and have ravaged Florida's tourism-driven economy.
"This reservoir is particularly important right now to help mitigate the toxic algae crisis that's sweeping the state, but it's also critical for our broader Everglades restoration effort," Florida Senator Bill Nelson said.
The America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 authorizes more than $6 billion in spending over 10 years for projects nationwide, including the $1.3 billion Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir. The law also boosts projects to restore Gulf Coast wetlands damaged by Hurricane Harvey and improve harbors in Seattle, Savannah, Georgia, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)