As you may recall, St. Johns Riverkeeper filed for an administrative hearing to challenge the permit application by Seminole County to withdraw 5.5 million gallons of water a day at its proposed Yankee Lake facility for irrigation purposes.
In the meantime, many of the counties, cities, and utilities in Central Florida have been attempting to intervene on the side of Seminole County. As a result, St. Johns Riverkeeper filed motions to dismiss the petitions filed by the Tohopekaliga Water Authority (Toho), Osceola County, City of Cocoa and City of Sanford to intervene. Last Friday, the Adminstrative Law Judge assigned to the case dismissed the petitions to intervene by Tohopekaliga Water Authority, Osceola County, and the City of Sanford due to a lack of standing.
Also last week, Putnam County Environmental Council, Inc. filed a legal challenge to stop the St. Johns River Water Management District from issuing permits to Central Florida communities and utilities for withdrawals from the St. Johns and Ocklawaha. PCEC is contending that surface waters from the St. Johns River and Ocklawaha don't qualify as "alternative water supply" sources as defined by state law. They are also asking the Florida Land and Water Adjudicatory Commission, that consists of the Governor and three Cabinet members, to review the District's water supply plan.
Stay tuned. It just keeps getting more and more interesting.
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