Orange County, FL, to Vote on Right to Clean Water, Rights of Nature – Would Become Largest Jurisdiction in U.S. to Protect Rights of Nature

Press release from the Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights

October 27, 2020

Contact:

Chuck O’Neal, Chairman
Florida Rights of Nature Network
chuckforflorida@gmail.com
407-399-3228

Thomas Linzey, Senior Legal Counsel
Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights
tal@pa.net
509-474-9761

ORANGE COUNTY, FL: On Election Day, voters in Orange County, Florida, will cast ballots on a county-wide initiative which would recognize a right to clean water for the residents of the County, and rights of Orange County rivers and streams.

The initiative, known as the “Right to Clean Water Initiative” would be the first in Florida to recognize the rights of waterways in the state, and would empower any county resident to enforce the rights of water ecosystems. If approved by voters, Orange County would become the largest municipality in the U.S. to adopt a rights of nature law.

The Orlando Sentinel newspaper endorsed the initiative, stating that “deteriorating water quality conditions in Central Florida were the driving force behind this charter amendment, which relies on an emerging legal concept called ‘rights of nature.’”

The initiative has been endorsed by many organizations, including the League of Women Voters of Orange County and the Orange County Democratic Party. It was also recently endorsed by Orlando Weekly. A full list of endorsers is below.

The Orange County measure would secure the rights of rivers and other waters within the County “to exist, flow, to be protected against pollution and to maintain a healthy ecosystem.” Although the first initiative of its kind in Florida, over three dozen cities, townships, and counties across the United States have adopted laws which recognize the “rights of nature” – legally enforceable rights of waterways and other ecosystems. In addition, Ecuador enshrined the rights of nature in its national Constitution, and courts in India, Colombia, and Bangladesh have recognized the rights of nature in court rulings.

Chuck O’Neal, Chairman of the Florida Rights of Nature Network (FRONN) and leader of the Orange County effort, explained, “The inadequacy of current environmental laws has allowed the utter destruction of Florida’s waterways and natural environment. This new law, and others that will follow, represent the beginning of a new era of environmental protection, one premised on the rights of Floridians to clean water and the rights of nature to exist and flourish.”

Thomas Linzey, Senior Legal Counsel for the Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights (CDER), a partner group of FRONN, added, “We applaud the leadership of Floridians in recognizing the rights of nature and ecosystems. Passage of this initiative in the thirtieth largest county in the United States shows that rights of nature laws can be implemented anywhere in the country. We look forward to supporting Florida communities as they implement and enforce these laws to protect waterways across the state.”

The Florida Rights of Nature Network guides, supports, and encourages local efforts in Florida to recognize and legally enforce the rights of nature and the right of communities to a healthy environment, through self-government at the city, county, and state level.

The Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights partners with communities, tribal nations, governments, and people around the world to secure democratic rights and the rights of nature in law, including in the Philippines, Australia, Ecuador, Sweden, the United States, and other countries.

Endorsements:

Orlando Sentinel
Orlando Weekly
Orlando Sentinel Columnist Scott Maxwell
Alianza for Progress
Animal Legal Defense Fund
Florida Conservation Voters
League of Women Voters of Orange County
Save Orange County
Democratic Party of Orange County
Orange County Democratic Hispanic Caucus
Rainbow Democrats of Orange County
Orange County Commissioner Maribel Cordero
Orange County Commissioner-Elect Nicole Wilson
Florida State Rep. Anna Eskamani
LaVon Bracy, Community Advocate
Cynthia Harris, Community Advocate
Samuel Vilchez Santiago, Community Advocate
Actor Ed O’Neill (video)

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