Santa Fe Springs, LLC (Sawdust Springs) Water Bottling "Pipe
Dream"
Hello Everyone,
The outcome of Thursday (Sept. 17, 2009) night's Columbia County BOCC
meeting was a group of elected officials strongly in
favor in protecting our public natural resources.
The Columbia County BOCC will be sending a letter
representing their concerns and ours. When we receive it, we will forward
it to you all. They decided unanimously to show written support in
keeping water bottlers out of the watershed of the Santa Fe River in southern
Columbia County. They will not allow any type of pipeline nor allow any
industrial construction relating to such a business anywhere near the
springs or river.
The letter will be written to Mr. David Still, Executive Director of
SRWMD and also to state officials. Mr. Still has not
responded to Mr. Cheeseman's request to the District for modifications
to an existing Water Use Permit. It is possible that such a strong
position from Columbia County may send this WUP into a
revocation process since Mr. Cheeseman only had 2 years ago to act on his
permit...technically he is overdue.
Mr. Cheeseman has never submitted a completed permit
application in either Columbia County or Ft. White.
I am thankful and proud of Columbia County, especially our own
District elected Commissioner, Mr. Dewey Weaver, for standing up to this
type of business and being a staunch advocate of protecting our natural
resources. It was also reassuring to know that citizens such as the
Cannons from Levy County, and groups such as Save Our Suwannee, got
our backs when it comes to being the voice of the River. They
spoke intelligently...with facts. AND, it was great to see many
familiar faces in the audience. OSFR thanks you. The River
thanks you.
This letter is a BIG step in the right direction, but it is not
over...yet. The WUP must be revoked by SRWMD for it to be over.
Also...Please read a terrific story at the end of this short trail; about 2
"lawyerless" people who voiced opposition to a land development in
Marion County and WON.
It is wonderful to know that people just like you and me
still have a voice in how land and water gets used.
Thank you too for all your letters, phone calls and support.
Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson
president, OSFR
please note, I can be reached at 386-454-4446 (leave a message, I will call
back)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bottling plant may open in Fort White
Conservation group to take business to task; facility could mean 50 new
jobs.
By TONY BRITT
Published: Thursday, September 17,
2009 6:11 AM EDT
A request to place infrastructure on county property by
a Columbia County property owner attempting to establish a future bottled water
plant in Fort White could have a bearing on the Santa Fe River’s
health.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Commission rejects proposal for pipeline
Officials will not allow water to be piped from Santa Fe river for bottling
plant.
By TONY BRITT
Published: Friday, September 18, 2009
6:11 AM EDT
Columbia County officials will not allow a pipeline on
its property which takes water from the Santa Fe River to a proposed water
bottling plant in Fort White.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SRWMD
Sets Meeting To Address Water Supply Planning For The Upper Santa Fe River Basin
The
Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) will hold a workshop to discuss
water supply planning for the Upper Santa Fe River Basin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Crist, Cabinet reject 800-home community in Marion County
By Kris Hundley,
Times Staff Writer
In Print: Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Gov. Charlie Crist and Florida's Cabinet voted Tuesday morning in support of
two citizens who argued there was no need for a new residential development in
Marion County.