Florida Governor Orders DEP Investigation of St. Pete Sewer Crisis

9/20/2016

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Rick Scott has ordered the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to investigate a sewage spill in St. Petersburg.

Heavy rain during Hurricane Hermine overloaded the city’s sewer systems, sending millions of gallons of sewage to flow into streets and waterways.

In a news release Wednesday, Scott’s office said the City of St. Petersburg dumped about 150 million gallons of raw and partially-treated sewage and wastewater into Tampa Bay and Boca Ciega Bay.

Also on Wednesday, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman announced he was replacing two top city wastewater officials.

And U.S. Rep. David Jolly’s has called for a federal environmental probe.