Caviar and Bottled Water

Last year, a California company, Niagara Bottling, received a consumptive use permit (CUP) from the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) to use 484,000 gallons of water a day. Despite imminent water shortages and intense opposition from Lake County and Groveland, the District determined the use to be in the "public interest" and issued the permit.

Now, a Canadian company wants to withdraw 250,000 gallons of water a day from the Floridan aquifer for a sturgeon fish farm near Melrose to produce caviar. The facility would only employ a few people and comes at a time when we must begin to prioritize the highest and best use of our limited water resources. We simply can't afford to continue the practice of giving our water away to every business that wants to put a pipe in the ground. It doesn't make economic sense, is not environmentally responsible, and is surely not in the public's best interest.

We commend the SJRWMD for its recent focus on water conservation, and we hope they will do the right thing and deny permits like this one that are contrary to those efforts. We shouldn't require conservation to only allow a continuation of the unsustainable permitting practices of the past.

Here is an article that was recently in the Florida Times-Union about the sturgeon farm:
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-02-22/story/putnam_caviar_plan_triggers_row_over_water

A public meeting is being held to discuss the permit at the SJRWMD headquarters in Palatka on Thursday, February 25th at 5pm.

Springs Rally and EPA Hearings

On Tuesday, February 16th, two important events took place in Tallahassee that could help forecast and help shape the future of the St. Johns River.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held its first public hearing regarding the recently proposed Numeric Nutrient Standards (NNS), and a Springs Rally was organized on the steps of the State Capitol to advocate for legislation to protect our precious springs in Florida.

Both events provided reason for hope and optimism and reason for despair and disappointment.

First of all, it was encouraging to see that something is finally being done to address the serious nutrient pollution problem that is plaguing Florida's waterways. While the proposed NNS standards are still a long way from actually being implemented, they do represent a positive step forward for the health of our rivers, lakes, and springs and the future of our economy.

Our current nutrient standards are clearly not working. The widespread algal blooms on the St. Johns River are evidence of the failures of the current standards that are in place. The proposed numeric standards would provide an understandable limit to the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous that could enter our waterways, making it easier to implement and enforce water quality standards.

Unfortunately, a swarm of businesses, consultants, lawyers, and lobbyists representing numerous industry and special interest groups turned out to oppose the standards. It was discouraging to hear the fear mongering, misinformation, and unfounded accusations that were bantered around in an attempt to discredit and to sidetrack this important effort to protect Florida's waters. Many spoke on behalf of their own best interests and the status quo and not what is best for our rivers, lakes, springs and our communities. We firmly believe that what is best for the St. Johns River is best for all of us - our quality of life and our economy. We made sure that the voice of the river was heard.

The Springs Rally also provided moments of hope and encouragement. It was inspiring to see the hundreds of people (especially the young people) who attended and to hear those who spoke so passionately and eloquently in support of protecting our springs.

However, I was also saddened to hear about the degradation of so many of our springs and how we continue to squander and pollute the crown jewels of our state's natural resources. For instance, the flow of the Ichetucknee has declined over 25%. The fish populations in Silver Springs have declined by over 95%. Nitrate levels are soaring and mats of algae are covering many springs. Some have even dried up and no longer flow. This is a tragedy that must be addressed.

Hopefully, this is the year that a springs protection bill will finally be passed. Kudos to Senator Lee Constantine and Senator Paula Dockery for leading the charge on this important issue.

We will keep you posted as the NNS issue and efforts to protect our springs move forward. Please, voice your support for protecting our waterways. See our previous post to submit comments to the EPA about the proposed nutrient standards and contact your public officials to let them know that you support springs protection.

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/