Board narrowly backs Seminole water plan - Orlando Business Journal:

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million gallons of water a day fromthe St. Johnx River was approved April 13 ina 5-4 vote by the . Accordinh to a release, the district’s board approved the permit forthe $42.5 million project, which included: Up to 1 million gallons of watere per day would be used to augmengt Seminole County’s reclaimed watef system in place of • Up to 4.5 million gallons of watedr a day — starting in 2014 to supplement potable groundwater Representatives from Jacksonville-area governments and the St. Johns Riverkeepedr contributed to an overflow crowd in Palatka atthe hearing.
The Riverkeepet organization sponsored a bus ride to transport opponents of the permit tothe district’s offices in Palatkz for the hearing. Originally, Seminolde County submitted the permit application in 2004 requesting the ability towithdrawq 7.25 million gallons of water per day for 20 years. The projecy already has support fromthe , and U.S. Fish and Wildlifre Service. However, the permit has also faceed oppositionfrom St. Johns Riverkeepe r Inc., a private, nonprofiyt watchdog formed in 1999 to protectthe St. John River. “The district’s Governin Board, like many people throughoug the region, is committe to protecting the St.
Johnsx River, and it was the board’s determination, as it was for district staff and the administrative law that this withdrawal will not cause detrimentao impacts to the saidSusan Hughes, governing board chairwoman, in a preparedc statement. St. Johns Riverkeeper a private, nonprofit watchdog group formed in 1999 to protectthe St. Johnsz River that has fought Seminole'sw plan, vowed to fight on. “We are preparedd to do whatever it takes to stop this permity frombeing issued,” Neil Armingeon, who headss the Riverkeeper group, told Aprilk 10.
Armingeon said the group will meet with its legaol team within the next 25 days and considef filing legal action to blockthe