DON’T REPEAL SPRINGS PROTECTION

Editor, The Sun:

My name is Emily Johnson. I’m a proud Wakulla resident writing on behalf of the Downriver Project, a local nonprofit known for its Clean Water Wakulla Initiative.
Last year, Southwest Georgia Oil Company announced plans to build a 16-pump gas station above the main cave that sends water to Wakulla Springs. This company, known for its Inland and Sunstop brands, has been identified by Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) public records as the Responsible Party for at least 44 gas station historical contaminated facilities in Florida, plus a DEP finding of “gross negligence” for its operations in Wakulla County, and was the subject of a 1984 Consent Order for polluting the Floridan Aquifer. After fierce opposition from families and local business owners in February 2022, the company reluctantly paused its plan.
However, public records show that Southwest Georgia Oil Company has kept in touch with unelected Wakulla County staffers to note its interest in moving ahead with a gas station. Now, local bureaucrats, led by County Administrator David Edwards, want the County Commission to repeal groundwater protections and replace them with rules that would make it easy for Southwest Georgia Oil to execute their plan.
The proposed rule change would allow industrial gas tanks to be stored underground, directly above the caves where much of our drinking water is drawn. Furthermore, it would not protect (or even acknowledge) the caves under the gas company’s property, which scientific divers recently linked directly to Wakulla Springs. Finally, the rule makes it so that sand could legally qualify as a “natural protective barrier” between a high-polluting facility and our groundwater.
County officials have claimed that their rule change would still protect our water through “stormwater management,” “geotechnical assessments,” and “record keeping.” But these requirements are extremely weak. They hardly exceed the minimums under state law and would advance the goals of Southwest Georgia Oil Company.
It is vital to stop Southwest Georgia Oil Company from getting the green light to pollute our water. We encourage our County Commissioners to see this plan for what it is: a brazen attempt to risk Wakulla’s water for the benefit of an out-of-state oil company with a long, devastating history of pollution. Instead, we need real protections, including meaningful buffer regulations that keep gas stations and other hazards from being built on our groundwater caves.

What You Can Do:
County officials have permitted for a 10-day public comment window, which ends this Friday, April 21. Public comments matter, especially with local issues.
You can write them by going to: tiny.cc/WakullaLetter
Sincerely,

Emily Johnson
Crawfordville