Category Archives: Law

Trash trap, Withlacoochee River 2025-07-02

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Three different trash trap companies have quoted for a Withlacoochee River location just upstream from Langdale Park Boat Ramp, and downstream from US 41, North Valdosta Road.

Two have looked at another Withlacoochee River location just downstream from GA 133, in Troupville Park, where VLPRA briefly owns both sides of the river.

[Trash trap sites, Withlacoochee River 2025-07-02, Langdale Park below US 41, Troupville Park below GA 133]
Trash trap sites, Withlacoochee River 2025-07-02, Langdale Park below US 41, Troupville Park below GA 133

The Langdale Park location is about 28 feet across the river, and would require a 50-foot trap.

That location is very convenient, because the access road goes right there.

I sent quotes for this location by two trash trap companies to the City of Valdosta in 2023. A catch is that these locations are not in the City of Valdosta. Continue reading →

Call about developer and datacenter give-away bill GA SB 447 2026-03-17

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If datacenters are so great, why did their proponents first gut GA SB 34, which would have prohibited datacenters from passing on electric bills to other ratepayers?

And why now are they trying to pass SB 447, which would distort local permitting processes to favor datacenters and developers in general?

Please ask your Georgia statehouse delegation to vote NO on GA SB 447.

SB 447 will be heard this Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in a subcommittee of the Georgia House Natural Resources and Environment (HNRE) Committee.

It may get voted on there, and then in the full Committee on Thursday.

[Call about datacenter and developer give-away, GA SB 447, in HNRE Tuesday 2026-03-17]
Call about datacenter and developer give-away, GA SB 447

You can find your Georgia House members here:

https://wwals.net/about/elected-officials/georgia-house/

Or type in your ZIP code here:

http://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/ Continue reading →

Phase II Water Shortage and Springs Protection Awareness Month Proclamation @ SRWMD 2026-03-10

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Update 2026-03-10: SRWMD livestreams its meetings on YouTube. This one will be here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXdoI5qrgXQ

There is nothing on the SRWMD Board agenda about Water First North Florida (WFNF) for 9 AM this Tuesday, March 10, 2026. But there are several items related to that scheme to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin.

If you can, please do go to the SRWMD meeting and speak. Don’t forget these other meetings:

[Phase II Water Shortage, Springs Protection Awareness & Water Conservation Month Proclamation @ SRWMD 2026-03-10]
Phase II Water Shortage, Springs Protection Awareness & Water Conservation Month Proclamation @ SRWMD 2026-03-10

The SRWMD agenda for tomorrow has a Public Hearing about declaring a Phase II Severe Water Shortage. That declaration is watered down, with few actual requirements. Although not as much as the Modified Phase II Severe Water Shortage already declared by SJRWMD, which appears to eliminate all mandatory water restrictions.

Also on the SRWMD agenda, perhaps ironically, are

  • a “Water Conservation Month Proclamation” and
  • a “Springs Protection Awareness Month Proclamation”.

And of course the monthly SRWMD Hydrologic Conditions Report, which will detail how bad the drought is.

Plus you never know what will be presented in “WATER RESOURCES, Amy Brown, Deputy Executive Director, 9. Water Resources Division Updates.” Continue reading →

Florida Senate Bill would send treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin –WTXL 2026-03-03

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Update 2026-03-09: Chance to speak to SRWMD at its Board Meeting, 9 AM, Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

Thanks to Lyric Sloan for a WTXL TV report from the Florida Senate Rules Committee Tuesday.

Environmental advocates are pushing back, warning the plan could introduce contaminants and fails to address what John Quarterman, Suwannee Riverkeeper, calls the root cause of declining river flows: over-pumping from the aquifer.

[FL SB 7034 would send treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee Basin --WTXL 2026-03-03]
FL SB 7034 would send treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee Basin –WTXL 2026-03-03

“It’s a risky project,” Quarterman said. “There’s no evidence that it takes out PFAs for other chemicals or drugs, pharmaceuticals, and right now that plant is under a consent order for exceeding all sorts of limits.”

Quarterman and other opponents argue Jacksonville should instead reduce its groundwater withdrawals or pursue alternative water sources, such as the St. Johns River or desalination.

Keep calling your Florida statehouse members, SRWMD, etc. For who and how, see:

https://wwals.net/?p=69583

And there’s a petition you can sign: https://c.org/8CgGBpLv7r

If you want assistance with how to craft a comment, come to the WWALS Workshop,
5-6:30 PM, Wednesday, March 18, 2026,
at the Live Oak Public Library, 1848 Ohio Ave S, Live Oak, FL 32064.

https://wwals.net/?p=69575

And don’t forget SRWMD’s own public meeting,
6-8 PM, Thursday, March 19, 2026,
at SRWMD HQ 9225 County Road 49, Live Oak FL 32060.

https://wwals.net/?p=69504

Lyric Sloan, WTXL TV, 7:42 PM, Mar 03, 2026, Florida Senate Bill would send treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin: SB 7034 would pipe treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin to stabilize river flows, but critics warn of contamination risks, while supporters believe it could help agriculture,

DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A proposed Florida Senate Bill would allow treated wastewater from Jacksonville to be piped into the Suwannee River Basin in an effort to stabilize water flows in the Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers.

Continue reading →

WFNF unanimous aye from Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03

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Update 2026-03-05: Florida Senate Bill would send treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin –WTXL 2026-03-03.

The ratifying bill passed its last committee Tuesday for the project to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin, in the Water First North Florida (WFNF) project.

Next stop, the full Senate, Thursday, tomorrow. Please call or write your Senators; see below for how.

The Senators will likely approve the bill. But the more they hear, the more likely they will advise SRWMD and SJRWMD that it must be clean or not at all, as did Senators Tracie Davis of Jacksonville and Jennifer Bradley, who represents the most affected area of the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers.

See the Florida Channel video of the Florida Senate Rules Committee on March 3, 2026.

https://thefloridachannel.org/videos/3-3-26-senate-committee-on-rules/

At 02:31:00 they took up item 20, SB 7034, and ended up with Yeas 21 Nays 0.

[WFNF unanimous aye from Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03, In full Senate Thursday 2026-03-05, Call or write your Senator]
WFNF unanimous aye from Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03, In full Senate Thursday 2026-03-05, Call or write your Senator

Next, SB 7034 is on Special Order Calendar for the full Senate for tomorrow, Thursday, March 5, 2026, as “GB by Environment and Natural Resources Ratification of Rules of the Department of Environmental Protection.”

Please call or write your Florida state Senator.

Please be polite but firm.

These are the three Suwannee River Basin Florida State Senators: Continue reading →

Datacenter Special Exception Public Hearing @ Irwin County Commission 2026-03-02

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The next stop is the Irwin County Commission, tonight, Monday, March 2, 2026, at 5:45 PM, in the same location, the Irwin County Courthouse, 301 South Irwin Avenue, Ocilla, Ga. 31774.

I asked the Interim Chief Appraiser for any new packet materials since all four Planning Commissioners present voted to recommend approval of the proposed Special Exception for the Data Center near Irwinville, last Thursday, February 26, 2026.

She said there are no new materials. So where is all that transparency promised by the applicants last Thursday?

[Datacenter Special Exception Public Hearing @ Irwin County Commission, 5:45 PM, 2026-02-03]
Datacenter Special Exception Public Hearing @ Irwin County Commission, 5:45 PM, 2026-02-03

The proposed location is on Ponderosa Drive, Irwinville, Georgia 31783, quite near the Alapaha River. And of course over the Floridan Aquifer, from which we all drink, for our houses, businesses, and farms.

You’ve already seen the extremely thin board packet for the Planning Commission for item IC-SE-01-2026.

The one agenda sheet received from the Interim Chief Appraiser in response to an open records request is on the WWALS website. Continue reading →

Datacenter: recommended approval –Irwin County Planning Commission 2026-02-26

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Update 2026-03-02: Datacenter Special Exception Public Hearing @ Irwin County Commission 2026-03-02.

All four Planning Commissioners present voted to recommend approval of the proposed Special Exception for the Data Center near Irwinville, last Thursday, February 26, 2026.

[Datacenter: recommended approval, Irwin County Planning Commission, After many speakers, most against 2026-02-26]
Datacenter: recommended approval, Irwin County Planning Commission, After many speakers, most against 2026-02-26

The next stop is the Irwin County Commission, this Monday, March 2, 2026, at 5:45 PM, in the same location, the Irwin County Courthouse, 301 South Irwin Avenue, Ocilla, Ga. 31774.

After numerous people spoke against and a few for that item, IC-SE-01-2026, two of the members of the Ocilla-Irwin County Planning Advisory Commission spoke at length about what they had been told or read or saw on a visit to another datacenter, as why they were for it, plus the promise of $20 million a year in tax revenue.

None of that was in the extremely thin board packet. So thin that their staff, Jessica Harris, Irwin County Interim Chief Appraiser, said at the beginning of that item that staff had no recommendation for or against because there was not enough information to go on.

The other two Planning Commissioners said they were for tabling the item due to lack of information.

However, one of the two for the project, Chairman Alan Smith, moved for approval. The other one, Vice Chair Tara Smith, seconded. And the remaining two, Arlinda Murrell and Ms. Walker, reluctantly also raised their hands.

Questions not answered with any documentation continue to include who is the datacenter customer (Google?), where are the specifications for the closed loop cooling water system, and what would those 200-300 high-paying local permanent jobs be doing, that were advertised in the slides for Irwin Forward Tech Park.

The proposed location is on Ponderosa Drive, Irwinville, Georgia 31783, quite near the Alapaha River.

Below are links to each WWALS video of each speaker or topic, with a few notes by John S. Quarterman, followed by a WWALS video playlist.

Most speakers were against the special exception, except for the few noted as for or as part of or attorney for the applicant.

Apologies for any incorrect names. And Continue reading →

Another Valdosta drinking water violation 2026-01-15

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We received this notice from a concerned citizen.

It’s much like the one we posted back in 2015.

https://wwals.net/?p=15277

[Another Valdosta drinking water violation, Again HAA5, Minor, 2026-01-15]
Another Valdosta drinking water violation, Again HAA5, Minor, 2026-01-15

PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER
HAAS VIOLATION AT City of Valdosta Water System

Water System Name: City of Valdosta (GA 1850002) Continue reading →

WFNF bill in Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03

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Update 2026-03-04: WFNF unanimous aye from Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03.

Please come to the WFNF ratification meeting of the Florida Senate Rules Committee, at 9 AM, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. That’s at the Pat Thomas Committee Room, 412 Knott Building, 404 South Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL 32399.

https://www.flsenate.gov/Committees/Show/RC/

If we’re lucky, they’ll be done by lunchtime. There is no way to predict when they will take up SB 7034.

All of you who in meetings and online have opposed the Water First North Florida (WFNF) project to pipe treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin: here’s a chance to stop it.

[Call to stop WFNF bill 2026-03-03, Florida Senate Rules Committee, No JAX wastewater into Suwannee Basin]
Call to stop WFNF bill 2026-03-03, Florida Senate Rules Committee, No JAX wastewater into Suwannee Basin

If you can’t come in person, please call or write your Florida state Senator.

Either way, please be polite but firm.

Two Suwannee River Basin Florida State Senators are on the Rules Committee: Continue reading →

Packet: Irwin Forward Datacenter Public Hearing, Ocilla-Irwin County Planning Advisory Commission 2026-02-26

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The Public Hearing on the proposed Special Exception for the Irwin Forward Data Center is tonight at 6 PM, in Ocilla, we hear at the Courthouse, before the Ocilla-Irwin County Planning Advisory Commission.

Here, in response to a WWALS open records request, is the agenda and the application for the Special Exception, which includes two maps.

Also received is a long deck of slides from Abernathy Development Company, mostly about specific customers.

These documents do not answer questions such as who is the datacenter customer (Google?), where are the specifications for the closed loop cooling water system, and what would those 200-300 high-paying local permanent jobs be doing, that were advertised in the slides for Irwin Forward Tech Park.

https://wwals.net/?p=69454

[Packet: Irwin Forward Datacenter, Public Hearing 2026-02-26, Ocilla-Irwin County Planning Advisory Commission]
Packet: Irwin Forward Datacenter, Public Hearing 2026-02-26, Ocilla-Irwin County Planning Advisory Commission

The proposed location is on Ponderosa Drive, Irwinville, GA, quite near the Alapaha River.

All that WWALS received is on the WWALS website.

Images of each page are below. Continue reading →