Board narrowly backs Seminole water plan - Orlando Business Journal:

ibitasony.wordpress.com
million gallons of water a day fromthe St. Johns Rivert was approved April 13 ina 5-4 vote by the . Accordin to a release, the district’s board approveed the permit forthe $42.r5 million project, which included: • Up to 1 million gallons of water per day would be used to augmenrt Seminole County’s reclaimed water systen in place of groundwater. • Up to 4.5 milliobn gallons of water a day starting in2014 — to supplement potabls groundwater supplies. Representatives from Jacksonville-arew governments and the St. Johns Riverkeeper contributed to an overflows crowd in Palatka atthe hearing.
The Riverkeeper organization sponsoree a bus ride to transport opponents of the permig tothe district’s offices in Palatka for the hearing. Originally, Seminole County submitted the permit application in 2004 requesting the ability towithdrawe 7.25 million gallons of waterr per day for 20 years. The projecgt already has support fromthe , and U.S. Fish and Wildlifw Service. However, the permit has also faced oppositionmfrom St. Johns Riverkeeper Inc., a nonprofit watchdog formed in 1999 to protectthe St. Johnes River. “The district’s Governing Board, like many people throughout the is committed to protectingthe St.
Johnse River, and it was the board’xs determination, as it was for districty staff and the administrative law that this withdrawal will not cause detrimentapl impacts to the saidSusan Hughes, governing board chairwoman, in a prepared St. Johns Riverkeeper Inc., a private, nonprofit watchdog group formed in 1999 to protectthe St. Johnss River that has foughr Seminole's plan, vowed to fight on. “Wde are prepared to do whatever it takese to stop this permit from being Neil Armingeon, who heads the Riverkeeper told April 10.
Armingeon said the group will meet with its legak team within the next 25 days and consider filing lega action to blockthe