COMMISSIONERS, PROVE US WRONG
Dear Commissioners,
On Monday, August 7, from 5:00 PM onward, Southwest Georgia Oil Company will try to convince you to amend the Wakulla Comprehensive Plan and rezone their Bloxham Cutoff parcel, which sits on top of the Wakulla Springs cave. Many citizens will be there since this is the final battle. It’s the only real obstacle stopping the company from building a gas station above the underground river that supplies drinking water and feeds the world’s largest spring. This is a chance for you to show us that you are faithful, honest leaders, not beholden to the interests of an elite few.
I’m a Christian minister, a proud conservative, and a business owner, having had my own law firm for decades. I spent the last years of my legal career fighting against government tyranny, and I know what political rot looks like. It looks like biased , close-minded or misled bureaucrats helping their friends prosper at the expense of the people.
Unfortunately, right now, it looks like county bureaucrats have convinced you to entertain the idea of letting Southwest Georgia Oil Company move ahead. This company was the subject of a 1984 Consent Order for polluting the Floridan Aquifer, received a finding of gross negligence in the maintenance of a petroleum storage system at SR363 & SR 267 in Wakulla Station, and, as of April 4, 2022, was the responsible party for 44 contaminated gas station facilities in Florida. At the last meeting, you threw out two water protection ordinances: one that taxpayers paid to develop and another citizen-led proposal that you refused to even consider for discussion. You claimed that this was because both ordinances were legally preempted (i.e., forbidden) by state regulations.
It looks like you believed that falsehood about preemption because County Administrator David Edwards claimed that DEP told him so. However, DEP has since issued a written statement clarifying: “The authority to enact a local ordinance — such as the proposed Wakulla Springs Water Quality Protection Regulation — rests solely with the county.” This is the same David Edwards who was found, during an ethics investigation, to have stayed at the beach house owned by the CEO of a major contractor with the County.
It looks like, by trusting Edwards at the last meeting, you’ve inspired Southwest Georgia Oil Company to come back this Monday, after 15 months of laying low. One has to wonder why Edwards, or any of you, would be so supportive of this gas station. However, former sheriff David Harvey—who has his own catalog of scandals—is a consultant for the gas company. We know from public records that the CEO of Southwest Georgia Oil Company has inquired with Edwards’ staffers about the proposed ordinance, at the behest of a staffer from another county contractor: Jim Stidham and Associates.
Jim Stidham and Associates is an engineering firm that works for Edwards and his team on a related issue: the massive underground gasoline spill under the “old sheriff’s station.” In 2009, it was declared by DEP to be an “imminent threat to public health” since toxins were approaching a well maintained by the City of Sopchoppy water system, which provides drinking water to more than 10,400 households in Wakulla County, including Crawfordville. But instead of shutting it down, the Stidham group has been content to monitor it for all these years, despite repeated “imminent threat” warnings through 2022. Surprisingly enough, that spill happened on Sheriff Harvey’s watch. David Edwards’ wife Lara Edwards is the Mayor of the City of Sopchoppy and is responsible for its water system.
But, Commissioners, the place with the big underground gas spill isn’t called the “old sheriff’s station” anymore. Now, it’s called the county commission chambers. It’s ironic that is the place, where on Monday, you’ll get to decide whether to invite further harm to our health and economy.
You have to agree this situation looks bad. It’s somewhere between carelessness and corruption. But now, you have a chance to show the people of Wakulla that “it’s not what it looks like”—that you can think for yourselves and lead as good people we pray that you are. You were elected by this county, and we want to believe in you and that you will do what is right.
Edwards will tell you that you have to vote “yes” for Southwest Georgia Oil. He’ll try to say that you can only consider the “designation” of the parcel, not its intended use. Don’t be fooled. This is a legislative item, totally up to your own judgment. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re required to endanger our groundwater. The Southwest Georgia Oil application specifically states, “The intent is to develop a 16-pump gas station with accompanying convenience store and small car wash, high turnover restaurant and general retail.”
If you follow Edwards, I’m afraid that it will be at the expense of your reputations and conscience. But if you protect the people of Wakulla County, Wakulla will be forever grateful.
May God guide you on Monday evening.
Sincerely,
Ana Garner
Crawfordville