Saint Johns Water Mis-Management District, exploiting the water resources to water sod

These are some of my observations from the April 13th SJRWMD Governing Board marathon meeting that I sent to Riverkeepers and the others that I have been networking with and met at the meeting…

From Neil’s quotes in the Jacksonville Times (article) it looks like they are not giving up!
I am relieved to read Riverkeepers will continue to fight this special interest project to build a pipeline from the Saint Johns River, an American Heritage River, to Seminole County through black bear habitat. This project is all about $od. It became obvious to me that the District Governing board is little more than a turf grass special interest board. The pipeline to augment reclaimed water in Seminole county with less that 1 million gallons a day… FOR LAWNS, amazing. So “Public Benefit” is future development and lawns…

Note: Seminole County does not project a need for the “potable” water for another 6 years but wanted to get their pinky toe in the door with the withdrawal of 900,000 gallons of water a day to augment the Seminole County reclaimed water supply, for lawns.

The need for this pipeline does not exist. NEPA looks at need and the need to build a pipeline through critical bear habitat, to pipe Saint Johns river water to augment a reclaimed water system for turf grass is not a critical need. The Seminole County Conditional Use Permit (CUP) was approved by a 5-4 vote, without the cumulative impact study being complete and without Seminole County utilizing all conservation measures to conserve water. Over 50 percent of potable water is used on lawns.

The pipeline from the Saint Johns River, to Seminole County, through black bear habitat has not been approved. FDEP is the permitting agency for the pipeline.

My other thought is… WHAT IS PUBLIC INTEREST?

How can the District and Administrative law judge Rule this is in the public interest? Who where all the thousands of people who signed the petitions and sent emails and drove, sat in overflow rooms, and spoke at the meeting? Hundreds showed their opposition in attending and speaking at the meeting. Even Seminole County residents came to speak in opposition to the CUP. One person spoke in favor, the other, Bill Kerr who used to be the chairman of the District Board, remarked that the district board had only one choice and that was to follow the order of the judge. In the public interest? District Technical Staff have said the Rockledge sewage wastewater ASR well in Rockledge is in the Public Interest too. What public interest?

Another Questionable action by District Staff:

District Staff purposefully withholding all ex-parte communications from the Governing Board members for months was terrible too. The Governing board had seen none of the with held emails until two hours before the vote. Over nineteen thousand emails were sent to the governing board, and those emails were printed and counted only 2 hours before the vote. Also, Seminole Co. Board member Ertle should have recused himself from voting on the CUP permit for conflict of interest reasons.

“I’m absolutely convinced there will be no harm to the river,” said board member David Graham of Jacksonville.

Voting with him and approving the CUP were Susan Hughes, Douglas Bournique, Ann Moore and Michael Ertel, who is Seminole County’s supervisor of elections. Board members who voted against the CUP were: Leonard Wood, Hersey “Herky” Huffman, Hans G. Tanzler III, Arlen N. Jumper. See the board bio’s below…

The District Governing board’s repeated praise of the District Technical Staff is a total facade!!! The whole thing was so transparent April 13, 2009.

Very very informative and eye-opening. I am so glad we attended and stuck it out to the end, 7 1/2 hours in all.

We all are effectively exposing who the District and their governing Board are in the public eye. These people at Saint Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) are not protecting the water resources, they are EXPLOITING the resources. No doubt these issues need to be taken to the Federal level.

Amy Mosher
FLOW: For Love of Water. A MUST SEE 2008 documentary exposing the truth about who is in charge of the worlds water.