\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRegional leaders from the Treasure Coast and South Florida Regional Planning Councils met in West Palm Beach on Friday, April 10, to tackle a range of issues from data centers to sewage sludge. Leaders said collaboration across counties remains key, but Friday\u2019s conversation highlighted a growing challenge: how could South Florida continue to grow without damaging the place residents call home?” on our agendas. So as much information as we can get is important because none of us ever wants to make a decision not based on all the information,” said Palm Beach County District 1 Commissioner Maria Marino.Leaders from across the Treasure Coast and South Florida counties discussed how to balance South Florida\u2019s growth with environmental protections.The conversation comes as large-scale projects like data centers raise questions about their environmental impacts and potential strains on local communities.”I think large-scale data centers should be viewed as what they are, which is a major industrial use,” said Paul Owens, president of 1,000 Friends of Florida. “You wouldn’t want a major factory in the middle of a residential area where there are sensitive uses.”Issues such as biosolid runoff and coral reef protection also remained top concerns for officials.”I know there are a lot of people out there that say, well, a better way to not have waste is to cut the waste we have,” said Marino. “Educating people on how exactly to cut waste is something that we all need to talk about.”Leaders said Friday\u2019s meeting served an advisory purpose for local governments and organizations, but conversations like these remain essential for making future decisions for their communities.Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Regional leaders from the Treasure Coast and South Florida Regional Planning Councils met in West Palm Beach on Friday, April 10, to tackle a range of issues from data centers to sewage sludge. <\/p>\n
Leaders said collaboration across counties remains key, but Friday\u2019s conversation highlighted a growing challenge: how could South Florida continue to grow without damaging the place residents call home?<\/p>\n
“[These topics are] on our agendas. So as much information as we can get is important because none of us ever wants to make a decision not based on all the information,” said Palm Beach County District 1 Commissioner Maria Marino.<\/p>\n
Leaders from across the Treasure Coast and South Florida counties discussed how to balance South Florida\u2019s growth with environmental protections.<\/p>\n
The conversation comes as large-scale projects like data centers raise questions about their environmental impacts and potential strains on local communities.<\/p>\n
“I think large-scale data centers should be viewed as what they are, which is a major industrial use,” said Paul Owens, president of 1,000 Friends of Florida. “You wouldn’t want a major factory in the middle of a residential area where there are sensitive uses.”<\/p>\n
Issues such as biosolid runoff and coral reef protection also remained top concerns for officials.<\/p>\n
“I know there are a lot of people out there that say, well, a better way to not have waste is to cut the waste we have,” said Marino. “Educating people on how exactly to cut waste is something that we all need to talk about.”<\/p>\n
Leaders said Friday\u2019s meeting served an advisory purpose for local governments and organizations, but conversations like these remain essential for making future decisions for their communities.<\/p>\n
Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25<\/a><\/p>\n