Support Proposed Nutrient Standards

As we previously mentioned, St. Johns RIVERKEEPER was one of five groups involved in a settlement that resulted in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposing Numeric Nutrient Standards (NNS) for the state of Florida.

The nutrient standards would place limits on the nitrogen and phosphorous pollution that is poisoning Florida’s rivers, streams, lakes and springs.

Unfortunately, a lot of misinformation and exaggerated claims have been swirling around about this issue.

Here are some facts that you should know:

• Nutrient pollution and algal blooms hurt our river, economy and quality of life. Economic losses can include a decline in property values, commercial fishery losses, medical costs to treat exposure to algal toxins, costs to treat drinking water, and lost revenues from recreational fishing, boating and tourism.
• The EPA stepped in because the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was not adequately addressing this significant pollution problem. The narrative standards used in Florida provide that "in no case shall nutrient concentrations of a body of water be altered so as to cause an imbalance in natural populations of aquatic flora or fauna.'' Based on the massive algal blooms we continue to experience on the St. Johns River, this requirement is clearly not being met.
• The proposed Numeric Nutrient Standards (NNS) will provide clear water quality goals and measurable quantitative baselines, making it easier to establish targets and eventually meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act.
• The EPA has proposed a range of standards that would be applied based on 4 watershed regions of Florida and the type of waterway.
• The standards would be phased in over several years, allowing time for industries and communities to sufficiently comply.
• Florida is NOT being singled out by EPA to establish NNS. Nine states have already adopted some or all parameters for their rivers.
• Federal analysts estimate that compliance will require $1.1 to $1.5 billion over 20 years. This is nearly the same as the cost estimates to implement a plan that was under consideration by the state of Florida that would have been less protective of our waterways.

It is imperative that we clean up our waterways. Clean and healthy rivers, lakes, and springs are critical to the future health and sustainability of our state’s economy. The proposed Numeric Nutrient Standards (NNS) are a step in the right direction.

Now, we need your help by supporting the EPA proposed standards. Three statewide public hearings are being held to gather public comment.

February 16, 2010: 10 a.m. - Noon, 1:00 - 5:00 p.m., 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Holiday Inn Capitol East, 1355 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, FL 32301

February 17, 2010: 1:00 - 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 -10:00 p.m.
Crowne Plaza Orlando Universal, 7800 Universal Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32819

February 18, 2010: Noon - 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Holiday Inn Palm Beach Airport, 1301 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33405

If you are unable to attend a hearing, you can still submit comments.

Tell the EPA that you support the proposed Numeric Nutrient Standards (NNS) by using one of the following options. Include Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2009-0596 with your comments:

1. Online: http://www.regulations.gov/ Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
2. Email: ow-docket@epa.gov
3. Mail: Water Docket, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
   Mail code: 2822T
   1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
   Washington, DC 20460
   Attention: Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2009-0596

For more information about this issue, visit the EPA website: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/rules/florida/

The River Luncheon - March 3, 2010

March 3, 2010

12:00 - 1:30 pm

Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront

The Board of Directors of St. Johns Riverkeeper invites you to join us for a celebration of our 10-year anniversary and to learn what the future holds for the St. Johns River.

$30 per person, $500 for table sponsorship (10 seats)

Tickets are available on our website - http://www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org or by calling 904-256-7591.

Guest Speaker: Cynthia Barnett

Cynthia Barnett is senior writer at Florida Trend magazine and the author of Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S., a groundbreaking call to action.

Neil Armingeon, the St. Johns Riverkeeper, will also provide a brief presentation.

Presenting Sponsor: Wayne and Pat Hogan

Event Sponsors: EverBank, CNL Bank, The Haskell Company

The St. Johns Riverkeeper Water Policy Group (WPG) is serving as the Host Committee for the event. The WPG is comprised of local community and business leaders advocating for policies that better protect our water resources and promote water conservation and reuse as an urgent public priority.

EPA Takes On The Green Monster

Hopefully, new standards being proposed for nutrient pollution will eventually help put an end to algal blooms like this one that was photographed by JU's Dr. Jerry Pinto at Bolles School in Jacksonville last summer.

As we have reported in previous posts, St. Johns RIVERKEEPER was one of five groups involved in a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requiring the EPA to step in and develop numeric standards that will limit the nutrient pollution that is poisoning Florida’s rivers and streams.

This past Friday, the EPA released the draft Numeric Nutrient Criteria (NNC) for nitrogen and phosphorous. The EPA was forced to develop the pollution limits, because the FL Department of Environmental Protection had failed to adequately address this significant pollution problem after having nearly 11 years to do so.

While there will be some debate about whether the standards are too stringent or don't go far enough, this represents a very important step forward for the St. Johns River. The bottom line is that pollution limits have finally been proposed that will lead to a significant reduction in the amount of nutrient pollution entering our waterways - something that should have happened years ago.

Excessive amounts of nutrients going into the St. Johns are making the river sick, as evidenced by last summer's extensive algal blooms. We were actually receiving reports of algal blooms in the Welaka area up until late December!

In the long-run, this will also be good for business and our quality of life. We need to restore our waterways and create a stronger more sustainable economy that benefits from clean water and a healthy environment. We don't have to debate the fact that the St. Johns is an important economic engine. It is also much more valuable when it supports an abundance of fish and wildlife, than when it turns green and is harmful to human health. Simply put, limiting nutrients and protecting the St. Johns River is an investment in our future.

The next step will be the public comment period. The EPA will hold three statewide public hearings:

February 16 - 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 P.M. at the Holiday Inn Capitol East, 1355 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, FL 32301

February 17 - 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 P.M. at the Crowne Plaza Orlando Universal, 7800 Universal Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32819

February 18 - 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 P.M. the Holiday Inn Palm Beach Airport, 1301 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33405.

St. Johns RIVERKEEPER will be preparing comments and will soon release a fact sheet to help you submit comments to the EPA. This is a critical issue, and the public need to speak out in support of the new standards. We’ll keep you posted.

10 Years As Your St. Johns RIVERKEEPER

A lot has happened since our last post. But before we get down to business, we are excited to announce our 10-year anniversary! For ten years, St. Johns RIVERKEEPER has proudly served the community as your independent voice for the St. Johns River.

We are grateful to everyone who has supported us since our inception. This important milestone in the history of our organization is a time to reflect on past accomplishments and the importance of the river to our community and quality of life. It is also an opportunity for us to rally around the river, recommit ourselves to the cause, and to prepare for the work that lay ahead. Please, take the time to contemplate what the river means to you and your family and make a pledge to help the St. Johns in some way in 2010. Check our website, http://www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org/10, or this blog frequently for the latest news, upcoming events, and ways that you can get involved and make a difference. By working together, we can have a clean and healthy St. Johns River and enjoy the ultimate reason to celebrate and rejoice.

With the help of our supporters, here are some of the things that we have been able to accomplish. Since 2000, St. Johns RIVERKEEPER has:

• Responded to hundreds of pollution incidents, holding polluters accountable and resolving problems.


• Led efforts to prevent construction-site runoff, fecal coliform bacteria pollution and nutrient pollution, the loss of critical wetlands and habitat, and the proposed withdrawals of water from the flow of the St. Johns River and Ocklawaha River.


• Provided presentations to over 500 schools and organizations and led over 100 boat trips for over 4500 adults and children.


• Organized or participated in several hundred community events to raise awareness about the river and the issues impacting its health.


• Received numerous awards, including the CSX Lifetime Environmental Achievement Award, Northeast Florida Regional Council’s 2006 Regional Award for Excellence in Environmental Stewardship, and the Florida Wildlife Federation’s 2009 Water Conservationist of the Year award.


• Produced quality educational resources for teachers and the public that include 3 documentaries (The Green Monster, Revenge of the River, My St. Johns River - Our Responsibility), a virtual tour website (http://www.mystjohnsriver.com/), a river guidebook (Get Your Feet Wet), lesson plans and curriculum.

There a lot of exciting upcoming events to celebrate the St. Johns River and our 10-year anniversary. Check out our website for more details.

Seminole County Denied Fees

As we mentioned in previous posts, Seminole County has been falsely claiming that we lacked material facts to support our challenge of the Yankee Lake water withdrawal permit and that we only intended to unreasonably delay the project. Despite evidence to the contrary, Seminole County filed a motion seeking attorney’s fees from St. Johns Riverkeeper and the City of Jacksonville.

Well, Judge J. Lawrence Johnston has issued his Final Order.

Johnston's decision - Seminole's motion is DENIED.

This is an important decision. If Judge Johnston had somehow ruled in Seminole's favor, it could have established a dangerous precedent by making it more difficult for citizens and local governments to challenge permit decisions that pose a potential risk to the health of our waterways.

We're obviously pleased that Judge Johnston ruled that Seminole County's SLAPP suit was baseless. However, it is sad that a citizen-based noprofit organization and a local municipality are forced to spend tens of thousands of dollars in legal costs to defend their CONSTITUTIONAL right to petition the government to protect these irreplacable natural assets.

We hope the citizens of Seminole County will let their elected officials know that they are tired of their tax dollars being wasted on attempts to silence citizens with legitimate concerns who are only trying to make sure our river is adequately protected and that our water resources are not exploited.

Your Guide to the St. Johns River

Get Your Feet Wet:
Your guide to exploring and experiencing the St. Johns River

Palatka to the Atlantic Ocean Edition

Get your feet wet and begin your journey exploring the mighty St. Johns River and its watershed! Also, get your shopping done for the holidays by getting guidebooks for your friends and family.

The Get Your Feet Wet guidebook is a valuable resource for you and your family to learn about and get to know your river. Learn about the ecology and rich history of the St. Johns River. Visit fun and interesting parks and places along the river and its tributaries. Identify common plants and animals that live in and around the St. Johns. Get the most out of your river experiences with fun games and activities.

The guidebooks are now available for a suggested donation of $15.00 on our website, http://stjohnsriverkeeper.org/river_guidebook.asp

Here is a recent editorial from the Florida Times-Union about the guidebook:

St. Johns River: Guidebook makes splash

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/editorials/2009-10-04/story/st_johns_river_guidebook_makes_splash

Judge Approves Historic Nutrient Settlement

As we mentioned in previous posts, St. Johns Riverkeeper is one of the parties involved in a recent settlement with the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that will require the state of Florida to establish meaningful limits for the nutrient pollution that is triggering algae blooms and poisoning our waterways. Unfortunately, many of the state's biggest polluters and some politicians tried to get a federal judge to overturn this decision. Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle rejected arguements made by those seeking to further delay cleanup and avoid compliance with the Clean Water Act.

In today's Florida Times-Union, columnist Ron Littlepage sets the record straight.

Nutrient limits for St. Johns River are essential to its health

In case you haven't noticed, the sky is falling.

Or at least the hysteria coming out of folks like the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Associated Industries of Florida and the state's biggest polluters would make you think so.

They are bent out of shape to the point of breaking because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is getting ready to do what it should have done years ago - limit the amount of nutrients going into the St. Johns River.

Those nutrients, in large part, are what's making the river sick, as evidenced by the massive algal blooms that frequently turn the river into a slimy, green mess.

The EPA action comes to settle a lawsuit filed by five environmental organizations, including the St. Johns Riverkeeper.

The EPA will set nutrient standards that will improve the river's health.

To continue reading Ron's column, click here:
http://jacksonville.com/opinion/columnists/ron_littlepage/2009-11-17/story/nutrient_limits_for_st_johns_river_are_essential__

We want to thank David Guest and Monica Reimer with Earthjustice for representing us in this settlement and for all of their outstanding work on this issue.

For information, click on the title of this blog post to see a press release from Earthjustice.