Joining Forty-one different cities and 27 counties in Florida that have voted to ban fracking or have expressed their opposition to it since January 2015, Suwannee County BOCC approved three identical fracking opposition letters to Governor Scott, Pro-fracking Bill Sponsors Senator Richter (SB 318) and House Representative Rodrigues (HB 191) tonight.
These bills also contain language that would eliminate Home Rule for local governments concerning fracking.
Chairman Jason Bashaw stated that the board was in agreement that fracking or any high pressure activity underground in Suwannee County and the entire state of Florida’s karst (sinkhole prone) topology would endanger our sole source of water the Floridan aquifer. A risk that he and the rest of the board is not willing to take. Chairman Bashaw also said that he and all board members take exception to the language in the bills that strip local governments of their right to home rule concerning fracking – or anything for that matter.
Fracking involves the pumping of water or acid into wells at great depths which is something you cannot do here in Florida as our aquifer which serves drinking water to 90% of the state, is unique in that the aquifer is literally beneath the ground and at the surface in the form of thousands of springs which are the windows to our aquifer. The state of Florida is prone to sinkholes due to the porous limestone that lies below and above the surface of the land in Florida. This limestone topology is supported by the aquifer and affected by the depletion of it’s water.
Continue reading Suwannee County Opposes Fracking and Revocation of Home Rule
Federal Energy Regulatory (FERC) in Washington, DC to drill under
the Suwannee River for its Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline
despite widespread local opposition. The Suwannee Board of County
Commissioners already voted a resolution to move Sabal Trail’s
compressor station. Still mulling stronger action, the SBOCC agreed
at a recent meeting to go with local guides, including WWALS Watershed Coalition board member Chris Mericle, on a hike with the
public to where FERC said construction monitoring was important for
the river and our drinking water in the Floridan Aquifer, but Sabal
Trail should be left to self-monitor. The day and time have been
set: 8:15 AM Thursday February 18, 2016.
