The results are in with regards to noxious blue-green algae covering a portion of Lake Okeechobee in Palm Beach County.
"This is actually the most toxic the water has ever tested in the history of that lake."
Congressman Brian Mast says the Florida Department of Environmental Protection puts the toxin microcystin at 860 parts per billion and only 8 ppb is considered unsafe.
"We've gotta go out there and physically say 'You are not going to poison us.'"
The Treasure Coast/Palm Beach County Republican says he was shocked to find that it's as bad as it is this early in the year.
"Holy crap! It's not even summer yet. Because we know what makes these algal blooms grow. It's the nutrients in the water, it's the level of the water, the temperatures of the water feeding these algal blooms."
He's calling out state lawmakers for not working on legislation to limit what goes into the lake and believes the governor would be on board if they did.
The Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County issued a health alert, warning that the blue-green algae could be deadly to pets that swim in it and cause skin irritations, as well as digestion and respiratory problems in humans.
But on Friday, a spokesman with the Health Department said that while the City of Pahokee put it in writing that the agency ordered the city to close the marina, that was not the case. Alex Shaw says the Department of Health has no jurisdiction over the marina.
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