Category Archives: Law

Citrus County Datacenter Moratorium, but application already in progress 2026-05-26

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Congratulations, Citrus County Commissioners, on passing a Datacenter Moratorium, May 26, 2026!

But the big horse was already out the barn: an application by Deltona Corporation to add to the 557.4-acres Holder Industrial Park another 798.6 acres for a total of 1,356 acres, so they can build a hyper-scale datacenter. That’s a bit wet of the Withlacoochee (South) River, the one that runs north from the Green Swamp, then west into the Gulf.

That is not in the Suwannee River Basin, but this is the first Florida datacenter moratorium we’ve heard of, and we’re concerned with Citrus County for other reasons, such as the borrow pit for the toll road extension that if its built could keep going up US 19 across the Suwannee River.

For more about datacenters, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters

[Citrus County Datacenter Moratorium 2026-05-26, but application in progress, Deltona Corporation, Holder Industrial Park Expansion]
Citrus County Datacenter Moratorium 2026-05-26, but application in progress, Deltona Corporation, Holder Industrial Park Expansion

That application will next be heard at 9 AM, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in the Lecanto Government Building, 3600 W. Sovereign Path, Room #166, Lecanto, Florida 34442.

Meanwhile, No Data Center Citrus has scheduled half a dozen rallies against.

https://nodatacentercitrus.org/ Continue reading →

Review, Project Arrowhead, DRI 4689, Irwin County, GA –SGRC 2026-05-14

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Only two state agencies commented on the Development of Regional Impact (DRI) for the Project Arrowhead datacenter near the Alapaha River in Irwin County, Georgia:

  • the Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Planning Council (SSRWPC) in one page, and
  • the DRI facilitator, the Southern Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC). Beyond a three-page summary at the beginning, the SGRC comments mostly consisted of the same 21 pages we already saw at the beginning of the comment period.

In the section of “Comments from Public Agencies” the other two letters are from the Georgia Water Coalition (GWC) and from WWALS, which you have already seen.

Fifteen citizens commented in the section labeled “Comments from the Public – Non-official.” All were opposed to the datacenter.

For much more about datacenters, including who you can contact, petitions, and upcoming meetings, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters

[Review, Project Arrowhead, DRI 4689, Irwin County, GA --SGRC 2026-05-14, Comments from Public Agencies, Comments from the Public]
Review, Project Arrowhead, DRI 4689, Irwin County, GA –SGRC 2026-05-14, Comments from Public Agencies, Comments from the Public

I thank Irwin County Assistant County Manager Bonnie Kelly, Ed.D. and County Clerk Patricia Battle for each returning a copy of this document within minutes after I sent in an open records request this morning.

This is presumably the same document you can see the Irwin County Commissioners perusing in Videos: Datacenter Special Exception approved at Special Called Meeting of Irwin County BOCC 2026-05-20.

The document is on the WWALS website and images of each page are below. Continue reading →

Videos: Datacenter Special Exception approved at Special Called Meeting of Irwin County BOCC 2026-05-20

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Update 2026-06-01: Review, Project Arrowhead, DRI 4689, Irwin County, GA –SGRC 2026-05-14.

The Irwin County Commissioners approved almost everything unanimously, including the Special Exception for a datacenter.

[Videos: Datacenter Special Exception Approved at Special Called Meeting of Irwin County BOCC 2026-05-20]
Videos: Datacenter Special Exception Approved at Special Called Meeting of Irwin County BOCC 2026-05-20

The only exception was 6. ACCEPT PHASE II OF THE COURTHOUSE ROOF BID PROJECT, which they tabled.

On the datacenter special exception, several Commissioners did express specific concerns. But they seemed to be relying largely on hearsay, such as by the Commissioners who had visited some datacenters, which “wasn’t really rushed,” yet “We were rushing to see everything we could see. And we didn’t get all the questions like that answered.” Continue reading →

SRWMD has no comment on WFNF alleged cancellation 2026-05-15

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If it was really cancelled, you’d think SRWMD, SJRWMD, and JEA would say so, and announce they have cancelled any outstanding contracts, such as the one SJRWMD let on November 12, 2025, for $2.17 million for a consultant to study WFNF for three years.

Instead, we’ve heard nothing from JEA or SJRWMD, and the Executive Director of the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) has no comment.

For much more about WFNF, including which Suwannee District counties oppose it (all 12 of them) and which have passed their own letters or resolutions of opposition (7 of them), as well as who you can contact, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

[SRWMD has no comment on WFNF alleged cancellation; Nothing from JEA or SJRWMD or FDEP 2026-05-19]
SRWMD has no comment on WFNF alleged cancellation; Nothing from JEA or SJRWMD or FDEP 2026-05-19

Stew Lilker, Columbia County Observer, May 15, 2026, Water First North Florida: The $1.1 Billion Project That No One Likes, Except Insiders, Is on the Ropes
Where is it now and how did it get there?

Continue reading →

More about WFNF funding in how it got ratified by sleight of bill 2026-02-25

Update 2026-05-19: SRWMD has no comment on WFNF alleged cancellation 2026-05-15.

Vigilance, please!

Yesterday, Tuesday, May 12, 2026, we heard from Florida State Senator Corey Simon that “the Water First North Florida project is being canceled in its current form.”

That’s good news, as far as it goes. And it wouldn’t have happened without all of you who have opposed it.

But it ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings, and the SRWMD Governing Board said nothing about this that same morning. I was there and spoke against WFNF along with about half a dozen other people.

Nor have any of SRWMD, SJRWMD, or JEA said anything since that I’ve seen. And what happened yesterday did nothing to repeal huge financial support for WFNF by JEA and SJRWMD.

So please don’t stop now. Keep on speaking to cities, counties, the state, members of Congress, and the unelected boards that are pushing WFNF: SRWMD, SJRWMD, JEA, plus the Jacksonville City Council.

For much more about WFNF, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

[More about WFNF funding in how it got ratified by sleight of bill, SB 7034 into HB 1417]
More about WFNF funding in how it got ratified by sleight of bill, SB 7034 into HB 1417

We also heard yesterday from Florida State Representative Chuck Brannan that: Continue reading →

Project Arrowhead in Irwin County considered risk to Alapaha River and Floridan Aquifer –WWALS to SGRC about DRI 2026-05-11

Update 2026-05-21: Videos: Datacenter Special Exception approved at Special Called Meeting of Irwin County BOCC 2026-05-20.

This is what I sent to the Southern Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC) yesterday about the Development of Regional Impact (DRI) application for the Project Arrowhead datacenter in Irwin County, Georgia.

For more about datacenters, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/datacenters

[Project Arrowhead in Irwin County considered risk to Alapaha River and Floridan Aquifer --WWALS to SGRC about DRI 2026-05-11]
Project Arrowhead in Irwin County considered risk to Alapaha River and Floridan Aquifer –WWALS to SGRC about DRI 2026-05-11

Continue reading →

WFNF Canceled? 2026-05-12

Update 2026-05-13: More about WFNF funding in how it got ratified by sleight of bill 2026-02-25.

Florida State Senator Corey Simon posted this letter on his facebook page about 1 PM today, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. The Madison County Florida Board of County Commissioners also posted it.

[WFNF is being canceled 2026-05-12, FL State Senator Corey Simon; What does this mean: in its current form?]
WFNF is being canceled 2026-05-12, FL State Senator Corey Simon; What does this mean: in its current form?

Well, I hope that formerly “done deal” is undone.

A catch: a single state Senator does not have the power to undo it.

Another catch: nothing was said about this at the SRWMD Governing Board meeting this morning.

And a third: “the Water First North Florida project is being canceled in its current form.”

Does that mean some parts of it are canceled? Which parts? For example, is SJRWMD cancelling its three-year consultant contract involving wetland siting and pipeline routing?

So, cautious optimism.

And many thanks to Senator Corey Simon, who has long made it clear he opposes WFNF, for example at the SRWMD and SJRWMD dog and pony show at UF IFAS on March 19.

But I will be making some inquiries with SRWMD, SJRWMD, JEA, and Sen. Simon’s offfice.

SENATOR COREY SIMON
3rd District

May 12, 2026

Subject: Update on the Water First North Florida Project

Dear Neighbor,

I want to provide you with an important update regarding the Water First North Florida Project.

After careful review and continued conversations with local leaders, water experts, property owners, and concerned citizens across North Florida, the Water First North Florida project is being canceled in its current form. While the need to address low water levels in our aquifer remains very real, it has become clear that this proposal is not the right path forward for our communities at this time.

Protecting North Florida’s water supply is one of the most important Continue reading →

Lafayette County against WFNF and for desalination 2026-04-28

Lafayette County on Tuesday became the sixth county to pass a letter or resulution against Water First North Florida (WFNF), the scheme by JEA, SJRWMD, and SRWMD to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into the Suwannee River Basin.

The other counties are Madison, Columbia, Suwannee, Hamilton, and Baker, plus the Town of Branford, the Rivers Task Force, and the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council. The last two organizations each represent all twelve counties in the Suwannee River Water Management District.

[Lafayette County against WFNF & for desalination, April 28, 2026]
Lafayette County against WFNF & for desalination, April 28, 2026

There are better ways to address both lower flows and levels in the Suwannee Basin and JEA’s legal requirement to stop outflowing into the St. Johns River; see The promoters bear the burden of proof about WFNF –WWALS to SRWMD 2026-04-13.

For much more about WFNF, including upcoming county commission and city council meetings, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

RESOLUTION NO. 2026-04-06

A RESOLUTION OF THE LAFAYETTE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OPPOSING THE WATER FIRST NORTH FLORIDA AQUIFER RECHARGE PROJECT AND RECOMMENDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ALTERNATIVE WATER DESALINIZATION PROJECT

WHEREAS, Continue reading →

Statewide Drought Response Level 1 –GA-EPD 2026-04-27

Georgia starts to catch up with Florida in drought declarations.

Georgia Environmental Protection Division Declares Drought Response Level 1

On April 27, 2026, after consideration of the drought severity and the water resource impacts, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) declared a state-wide Drought Response Level 1 for public water systems using surface water and/or groundwater. EPD has been closely monitoring drought conditions in Georgia for months, and on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, EPD held conference calls with public water systems to discuss current water supply and EPD’s consideration of issuing a Level 1 drought response. Following the conference calls, the public water systems had three days to submit any additional feedback before EPD could proceed with a drought response declaration.

[Statewide Drought Response Level 1 --GA-EPD, April 27, 2026]
Statewide Drought Response Level 1 –GA-EPD, April 27, 2026

As a result of the Level 1 Drought Response, public water systems must implement a public information campaign including, at a minimum, notice regarding drought conditions and drought-specific announcements in one or more of the following ways: newspaper or online ads, bill inserts, social media, and notices in public libraries. This public information campaign is designed to help citizens better understand drought, its impact on water supplies, and the need for water conservation.

Outdoor water use between the hours of 4 PM and 10 A.M. is still Continue reading →

Refilling the aquifer with wastewater is a problem –Tana Silva 2026-04-19

Like Tana Silva, you can write a letter to the editor of your local, state, or national newspaper, or ask your local radio or TV station to interview you, or post on social media.

Better yet, call or write your elected and appointed officials, and sign the petition:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

Tana Silva, Alachua Chronicle, April 19, 2026, Letter: Refilling the aquifer with wastewater is a problem, not a solution
https://alachuachronicle.com/letter-refilling-the-aquifer-with-wastewater-is-a-problem-not-a-solution/

April 19, 2026

Letter to the editor

[Refilling the aquifer with wastewater is a problem (WFNF) --Tana Silva 2026-04-19]
Refilling the aquifer with wastewater is a problem (WFNF) –Tana Silva 2026-04-19

Until the 1970s, Jacksonville pumped sewage straight into the St. Johns River and allowed dumping industrial waste there as well. The mayor elected in 1967, local advocates, and the Clean Water Act of 1972 helped to at least send wastewater to treatment plants before releasing it to the river. That practice, too, is restricted by state law now, but raising springwater levels through recharging projects is another goal in state law that opens a path to reusing wastewater, a risky and irreversible choice.

Jacksonville, the largest city, water consumer, and wastewater producer in northern Florida, is again looking to offload its wastewater, this time far to the west, in rural springs country.

Local residents and governments and the 12-county regional planning council that includes Alachua County say no: Continue reading →