Environment

Incidents

 * Republican Governor Rick Scott of Florida reduced funding for the state Department of Environmental Protection, cut 58 positions, directed employees not to focus on enforcement, and repealed hundreds of environmental rules.  In 2010, 2,289 violations were found, but only 145 were found through May 2013.  The official explanation is that compliance rates are higher and problems are being caught before they violate environmental standards, but the Department has proven unable to support this claim with any evidence.