Excerpts from a story by Bruce Ritchie reporting for Politico

TALLAHASSEE -- A scientist with the Department of Environmental Protection testified Friday that his agency's plans won't reduce pollution enough to restore Florida's springs along the Suwannee River.

Tom Greenhalgh, who has been a hydrogeologist at the department for 31 years, was among the groups and individuals who filed legal challenges to state cleanup plans for...

Recently Seven Springs Water asked the Suwannee River Management District (SRWMD) to renew their permit to withdraw up to 1.152 gallons of water per day near the Santa Fe River. The water would be bottled and sold by the Nestle Corporation. 

The question at the heart of the Seven Springs/Nestlé permit application, therefore, is whether changing conditions in our waters and a better understanding of Florida’s hydrology sh...

Read full article here: https://www.gainesville.com/opinion/20190924/editorial-appointees-key-to-protecting-environment

Florida’s water management districts, and the appointees to their governing boards, play a key role in protecting Florida’s environment and water resources.

Earlier this month, the Suwannee River Water Management District’s governing board was forced to cancel a budget hearing because it had too many vacancies.

...

Florida Springs Council President Dan Hilliard sent an open letter to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, questioning the Governor’s commitment to restoring the waters of central and north Florida and criticizing his progress on protecting Florida’s environment.

Hilliard, a lifelong conservative Republican, writes, “it appears your administration has left the springs, rivers and voters of north and central Florida behind. Although w...

Download a PDF of the press release HERE

UPDATE: Due to Hurricane Dorian the hearing has been postponed. New dates will be announced as soon as the hearing is rescheduled.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

For more information Contact:

Ryan Smart - Executive Director,

561.358.7191, smart@floridaspringscouncil.org

September 3, 2019, Tallahassee, FL: The administrative hearing over ineffective water quality plans (Basin...

THE BASICS:

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is required to adopt plans for cleaning up nitrogen and other pollution in 30 of Florida's springs. These plans are called "BMAPs", or Basin Management Action Plans.

One of FSC's primary missions is to bring together member organizatio​​ns to collectively monitor these processes and ensure that such plans are adequate. When these plans were published last year...

Read the original article in the Gainesville Sun here: https://www.gainesville.com/opinion/20190722/bob-palmer-only-rich-and-connected-need-apply

I’m still one of those cock-eyed optimists who believe that most of the time, our public servants are trying to do their best for most Floridians. We all carp about the motivations of our elected officials and their appointees. But, by and large, those who toil away anonymously in our...

On May 14th , Rainbow River Conservation, Inc. filed a petition to invalidate the proposed Minimum Flow rule for the Rainbow River System. The rule was published by the Southwest Florida Water Management District on March 26, 2019. The Rainbow River Minimum Flow challenge is the 6th petition filed in 2019 by an FSC Member Organization and supported by the FSC Legal Fund to protect Outstanding Florida Springs.

The petitioners...

Read the original story in the Orlando Sentinel here: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-op-florida-springs-pollution-farmers-agriculture-20190415-story.html

Photo, Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel

Too often, the debate over water quality problems and solutions in Florida is fueled by emotions and not facts.

Sometimes clean-water advocates are accused of demonizing industries and exaggerating the severity of the water polluti...