Issues, Florida Chapter

Safe Drinking Water

The long-term survival of safe drinking water and the underground geologic formations that supply 92 % of all drinking water in Florida. Irreversible destruction of aquifers through greed-driven human activities is, arguably, the greatest single risk to safe drinking water in Florida. In that context, the whole subject of Underground Injection requires that it be dealt with as an issue of Chapter-wide critical concern.

On-Going and Future Threats

Millions of gallons per day (MGD) of partially treated injected wastewater are migrating into Underground Sources of Drinking Water (USDW) around the state, in violation of the SDWA, while "developers" and utilities apply for additional permits for UIC Class I injection wells. Hundreds of surface water drainage wells, for many years, have been gravity feeding untreated stormwater into USDW's, long before any definition of ASR (Aquifer Storage and "Recovery") was codified into law or rule. Legislative bodies, WMD's, and utility operators around the state appear determined to begin, or expand, pressure injection of stormwater runoff into USDW's, under the guise of "Aquifer Storage and Recovery". The EPA, in response to the known "failure of confinement" in UIC Class I wells, is in the process of further weakening the already inadequate protections under existing rules. Even without these failed and/or unproven "technologies", the WMD's have historically issued Consumptive Use Permits (CUP's) that, coupled with natural discharges, deplete more fresh water from our aquifers than is being recharged by rainfall. The resulting ruination of USDW's from salt water intrusion, and the formation of sinkholes, is certain to increase. The SDWA, purportedly passed to protect the nation's drinking water, has been used to do the exact opposite, in too many cases. Instead of strictly protecting against serious degradation, interpretations of EPA and FDEP rules have been used to subvert the right of citizens to enforce compliance with the existing laws, poor as they may be.

Actions Proposed To Meet These Threats

In cooperation with other genuine conservation NGO's, work to require all public agencies and utility providers to adopt the "precautionary principal" ,…..

http://www.biotech-info.net/rachels_586.html , regarding all aspects of protecting our drinking water and all of its sources.

1. The public agencies most responsible for failing to protect the safety of our drinking water resources are local governments that pander to the economic desires of real estate and home building interests by failing to account for ALL the costs of growth. Local activists, particularly those in municipalities and Charter-governed counties, are urged to exercise their political muscle to require elected officials to do what's right, or face the consequences.
2. A concentrated effort to cause a referendum amending the State Constitution to, - for example -"..Prohibit the introduction, placement, migration, or injection of any substance other than safe, potable water into any current or potential source of drinking water in Florida ", would be an appropriate vehicle for broad public education to the immediacy of the crisis.

Legislation, rulemaking or legal action in 2005

We should seek to counter any proposed further destructive legislation and rule making with bills to place something similar to the above SDW Constitutional amendment on the ballot, as soon as possible. Failure to get multiple sponsors for such bills would be the signal to launch the initiative petition signature campaign. (We can’t afford to wait to start marshalling the finances and volunteer forces needed to conduct a petition drive.) Continue, along with the Chapter Legal Committee, in assisting the Sierra Club Environmental Law program staff in pursuit of final resolution of the lawsuit we filed in Federal Court on February 17, 2005 against the FDEP citing its violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Expectations for 2006

More of the same, and, equally distasteful is the discovery that large, transnational corporations have been maneuvering into positions of ownership of what should be an unalienable public trust: our drinking water. We can only hope other NGO's will strongly support our efforts to reverse the tide of waste and pollution of drinking water.

Other Actions the SDW Issue Committee Plans in 2006

Encourage members of local Sierra Groups to achieve our objectives, through communications, training and education, including personally meeting with other key Groups. Submit brief information messages to our activist lists, and, to Group newsletters, with URL's to factual information SDW links on the Chapter web page, to counter the false propaganda on official web sites.

SDW Issue Committee's Most Recent Achievements

Worked with the Sierra Water Privatization Task Force to create an informative Bottled Water Flyer. (http://www.sierraclub.org/cac/water/bottled_water/bottled_water.pdf , at: http://www.sierraclub.org/cac/water/bottled_water/ ) Worked with the newly-reorganized National Sierra Club Water Committee to create a set of "Guidelines on Desalination" to help our Groups and Chapters respond to threats that many desalination practices present.

What Members Can Do

Members are urged to support the SDW Committee by creating local SDW issue and/or action Sections ( as provided in their Bylaws) to monitor local and District activities that may adversely affect the safety of local Drinking Water Sources. They will be furnished fact sheets and directions to reliable web sites, both Club-hosted and otherwise ( a good one is Community Right To Know, at: http://www.crtk.org/drinkingwater.cfm?view=current ), and are cautioned to realize that most official web sites contain false, misleading information. Those who wish, will be listed on the CONS-EQST-SDW-News-Forum to facilitate broad distribution of timely information. They will be asked to conduct detailed inquiries into their local water ( and wastewater) utilities' public records (per CH 119, F.S.) for indications of malfeasance or dereliction in their legal obligations. And, at all times, to keep in close and timely contact with their Group Issue Section and the Chapter SDW Committee.