Seminole County Tries Intimidation Tactics on St. Johns Riverkeeper

Abel Harding

Seminole County, the central Florida county that emerged victorious from a contentious St. Johns River Water Management District hearing held to review their request to draw up to 5.5 million gallons of water from the river each day, has upped the ante in their efforts to shut down public opposition to their plans.  After the St. Johns Riverkeeper filed an appeal to challenge the water withdrawal in the US Fifth District Court of Appeals, Seminole County filed a motion charging that the Riverkeeper's lawsuit was "frivolous."

The County's charge is rather brazen on its face.  They allege that the Riverkeeper does not truly desire to protect the river from withdrawals, but rather used the raiding of water from the St. Johns to "make money." If Seminole County is successful in their motion, the Riverkeeper---a non-profit agency dedicated to advocating for the health of the river---would be forced to reimburse Seminole County's legal fees, which are in the millions.  Of course, Seminole County's legal fees are funded by the taxpayers---the Riverkeeper is forced to rely on donations, something that is increasingly tough in this economic environment.

"We will continue to fight this injustice," said Neil Armingeon of the St. Johns Riverkeeper, "and I can assure you St. Johns Riverkeeper will not be bullied or threatened by Seminole County or any other party whose actions pose a threat to the health of the St. Johns."

Jimmy Orth, the St. Johns Riverkeeper Executive Director, expressed frustration over Seminole County's tactics.  Referring to the legal strategy now being deployed by Seminole County, Orth pointed out how difficult it is for the average citizen to file for an administrative hearing to challenge a decision of the district.  "It is extremely time consuming, very expensive, and difficult to even find 'expert' witnesses who don’t have some tie to the District or are willing to participate in an action against the District," said Orth.  And, that's only the first step.  "[I]f you can overcome these hurdles and are able to file a challenge, you may also be faced with the threat of sanctions to recover fees if you lose."

It hardly seems like representative government.

Tags: Aquifer, Jimmy Orth, Local Politics, Neil Armingeon, Rio de Corientes, San Juan del Puerto, Seminole County, SJRWMD, St. Johns River, St. Johns River Water Management District, St. Johns Riverkeeper, State Politics, Theft, Water, Welaka, Yankee Lake

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 18th, 2009 at 11:15 PM and is filed under Local Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.