Tag Archives: Sampson River

Lease and operating requirements added to Sheriff’s ICE detention agenda item @ Bradford County BOCC 2026-04-16

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Late yesterday, Bradford County updated the agenda for this evening to add a lease agreement for the Douglas Building and a list of “Mandatory Operational Requirements and Compliance Standards”.

That hardly leaves time for anyone to review properly before this evening.

And there is no mention of either of the other two offers for use of the site discussed last time.

Bradford County should choose one of its other options for the site. And the county should do nothing with the site until FDEP returns results of its contamination examination.

The meeting is 6:30 PM, Thursday, April 16, 2026, at the Bradford County Courthouse, 945 North Temple Avenue, Starke, Florida 32091.

[Lease and operating requirements added about Sheriff's ICE detention to agenda packet @ Bradford County BOCC 2026-04-16]
Lease and operating requirements added about Sheriff’s ICE detention to agenda packet @ Bradford County BOCC 2026-04-16

This item is still one of the “Reports” in the agenda, not marked ACTION. But the Commissioners could choose to vote on it anyway.

There is no comment by the county attorney in the agenda packet.

There’s also nothing on the agenda about any results of the FDEP contamination study they approved last time, March 7, 2026. That would have to take much longer than nine days, anyway.

As we pointed out last time, Starke has already had sewage spills, and increasing its population by 50% (3,000 inmates on top of 6,000 Starke residents) would risk more spills, on a site that sits between two creeks that go through Lakes Rowell and Sampson into the Sampson River to the Santa Fe and Suwannee Rivers.

There is some verbiage about that in the lease, and in the “Mandatory Operational Requirements and Compliance Standards: Douglas Building Facility Transition”: Continue reading →

ICE detention center back with no alternatives @ Bradford County BOCC 2026-04-16

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Update 2026-04-16: Lease and operating requirements added to Sheriff’s ICE detention agenda item @ Bradford County BOCC 2026-04-16.

Despite two other options for use of the Douglas Building being discussed last time, only the ICE detention center is on the agenda for the Bradford County Commission tomorrow, 6:30 PM, Thursday, April 16, 2026. That’s at the Bradford County Courthouse, 945 North Temple Avenue, Starke, Florida 32091.

The board packet does not include the text of the proposed lease, nor any comment on it by the county attorney.

There’s also nothing on the agenda about any results of the FDEP contamination study they approved last time, March 7, 2026. That would have to take much longer than nine days, anyway.

According to Sheriff Gordon Smith‘s agenda item detail, such a detention center “would be capable of housing up to 3,000 detainees.” Remember the population of Starke is about 6,000. So that’s a 50% increase, plus ICE and other personnel.

As we pointed out last time, Starke has already had sewage spills, and increasing its population like that would risk more spills, on a site that sits between two creeks that go through Lakes Rowell and Sampson into the Sampson River to the Santa Fe and Suwannee Rivers.

Bradford County should choose one of its other options for the site.

And the county should do nothing with the site until FDEP returns results of its contamination examination. Continue reading →

Site contamination investigation before discussion of lease as ICE detention facility @ Bradford County BOCC 2026-04-06

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Update 2026-04-15: ICE detention center back with no alternatives @ Bradford County BOCC 2026-04-16.

The Bradford County Commission has two related items on its agenda for tomorrow morning at 9:30 AM, Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

In 5. Approval of the Consent Agenda:

  1. Site Access Agreement with Florida Department of Environmental Protection for monitoring of the “Douglas Building” Property — 14281 US Hwy 301 South, Starke, Florida.

Farther down the agenda:

  1. Discussion of “Douglas” Building Property Options
    1. Potential Lease with Bradford County Sheriff’s Office for the purpose of installation of a temporary ICE detainment facility.
    2. Other Lease or Marketing Options

[Site contamination investigation before discussion of lease as ICE detention facility, WWALS to Bradford County BOCC 2026-04-06]
Site contamination investigation before discussion of lease as ICE detention facility, WWALS to Bradford County BOCC 2026-04-06

We’ve sent them a letter suggesting they do nothing about leasing the site until the FDEP investigations have reported back. Continue reading →

More about Spill from Chemours Trail Ridge South TiO2 mine SE of Starke, FL 2024-01-31

The map in this Chemours followup report about its January 31, 2024, 194,195-gallon wastewater spill seems to indicate the water went south into Double Run Creek, which goes to the Santa Fe River.

[More about Spill 2024-01-31, Chemours Trail Ridge South, TiO2 mine SE of Starke, FL, Santa Fe River Basin]
More about Spill 2024-01-31, Chemours Trail Ridge South, TiO2 mine SE of Starke, FL, Santa Fe River Basin

The latlong in the map legend, 29.8901015, -82.0506411, is on one branch of Double Run Creek. Continue reading →

Bradford County Local Mitigation Strategy Planning Committee 2025-03-20

Several people informed me yesterday that they were alarmed to discover there is a meeting today at the Bradford County, FL, Sheriff’s Office about flooding.

Turns out it’s at the Sheriff’s Office because that’s where this long-running committee has been meeting. It works on flooding and wildfire issues.

[Bradford County Local Mitigation Strategy Planning Committee, Sheriff's Office, Starke, FL 2025-03-20]
Bradford County Local Mitigation Strategy Planning Committee, Sheriff’s Office, Starke, FL 2025-03-20

According to the agenda, Paul Still already has them talking about Sampson River Blockages and Radium and Chemours Discharges, which were the two big topics people were concerned about. The Sampson River blockages would seem to include the so-called three-pipes dam gates under CR 225 on the Sampson River just downstream from Lake Sampson. These gates were another concern I heard: people wish SRWMD would use them to lower Lake Sampson before big rains.

Like many such committees, this one has had few participants. Maybe this week’s alarm will get more people to attend.

Apparently most people saw this notice in the local newspaper, but it was also posted on facebook by Bradford County Sheriff’s Office – Emergency Management Division, March 7, 2025,

The Bradford County Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) Planning Committee/Workgroup will meet Thursday, March 20th, 2025, at 3:00 pm in the Bradford County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) located in the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office at 945B North Temple Avenue, Starke, FL 32091.

Continue reading →

Chemours Trail Ridge South Mine Process Water Spill 2025-02-16

Update 2025-02-28: Clean Franks Creek 2025-02-26 and Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers 2025-02-27.

Update 2025-02-24: Two Georgia House bills introduced to protect the Okefenokee Swamp 2025-02-20.

Sunday a week ago the Chemours Trail Ridge South titanium dioxide mine spilled process water, approximately 230,000 gallons.

Chemours has decades of experience with many TiO2 mines in north Florida and south Georgia. Yet they spill. Should we trust an inexperienced bunch of coal miners to strip mine for tooth whitener materials within three miles of the Okefenokee Swamp? When those same coal miners already spilled while processing tailings at two Chemours north Florida mines, causing a Florida Consent Order?

[Chemours Trail Ridge South, Mine Process Water Spill, 230,000 gallons, Sunday, February 16, 2025]
Chemours Trail Ridge South, Mine Process Water Spill, 230,000 gallons, Sunday, February 16, 2025

This is according to a report emailed the next day in the daily Pollution Notice by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Which has more detail than what you can see in the online map of the last 30 days of reports.

For example, the emailed report has “Coordinates (in decimal degrees): Lat: 29.891, Long: -82.043”. That puts it within feet of the location reported for the September 14, 2024 Chemours process water spill.

Which is at the old Trail Ridge Mine, not at the location farther south of there given in the 2019 Bradford County Commission hearings for a permit for Trail Ridge South Mine.

I called my usual contact at Chemours, and he says the released water is little different from what would be in the creeks anyway.

I told him that would be great, but everyone would like to see some evidence, such as what Chemours promised in the incident report: “Water within the tailing cell, point of entry and downstream locations have been sampled and we will continue to monitor. The sample locations are checked every day per our water quality monitoring program.&rqquo; Plus some independent sampling downstream.

I have also sent email to the contacts for the Trail Ridge South Mine, asking for that information and a tour of the facilities. We shall see.

Meanwhile, Our Santa Fe River (OSFR) is on the case and has asked FDEP for further information. OSFR recommends:

“Please help remind our DEP to assess and inform us about the levels of radium that were discharged. You can contact the FL- DEP to request the sample results from the spillage. You may want to email the inspector Chris.Suarez@floridadep.gov or call the Mining and Mitigation office at 850-245-8336 to ask that the spill analysis be posted.”

So where did this wastewater go? According to the stated coordinates, at the top of a wetland or pond. Continue reading →

Spill from Chemours Trail Ridge South TiO2 mine SE of Starke, FL 2024-01-30

Update 2025-05-16: More about Spill from Chemours Trail Ridge South TiO2 mine SE of Starke, FL 2024-01-31.

Update 2024-02-03: Clean Santa Fe and Withlacoochee Rivers 2024-02-01.

The Chemours Trail Ridge South titanium dioxide mine yesterday and today spilled Stormwater or Process water.

This is according to a report this afternoon in the daily Pollution Notice by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).

Chemours says there was no problem:

Water from reclamation cell was not contained and turbid water left the permitted facility and entered adjacent wetland. This water does not contain any hazardous materials. upon discovery, dozers reinforced the berm to contain water. Monitoring and assessment ini

Yes, it really ends in the middle of a word. Probably we will request the followup test results from FDEP.

[Stormwater or Process water spill from Chemours Trail Ridge South TiO2 mine, Starke, FL 2024-01-30-31]
Stormwater or Process water spill from Chemours Trail Ridge South TiO2 mine, Starke, FL 2024-01-30-31

So where did this wastewater go? The report includes latitude and longitude: 29.906479033014865, -82.0576515197747.

That turns out to be more than a mile from the Chemours Trail Ridge South Mine, and almost a mile from the Trail Ridge Mine. The report does not explain why so far. Continue reading →

SRWMD recommends seven springs projects for Florida state funding 2023-05-16

These springs protection recommendations presumably took place at the SRWMD Board’s May 9, 2023, meeting in Live Oak: they were on the agenda.

[Springs and WWTF --SRWMD Board Package 2023-05-09]
Springs and WWTF –SRWMD Board Package 2023-05-09

SRWMD Press Release, May 16, 2023, Seven area projects recommended for Springs funding by SRWMD Governing Board,

LIVE OAK, FLA., MAY 16, 2023 — The Suwannee River Water Management District (District) Governing Board this month recommended seven projects to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for Springs funding. 

The seven projects – two local government projects and five projects to a non-profit organization – total $6,106,441. This funding request is part of FDEP’s Springs and Watershed Restoration program which provides funding for projects that improve the quality and quantity of the state’s water resources. FDEP works with the water management districts, local governments, and other stakeholders to identify and implement springs projects that achieve these goals. 

“Florida is a great place to live and do business; because of this, the state continues to see tremendous growth,” said Hugh Thomas, executive director of the District. “With that growth comes the need to identify innovative ways to grow while also protecting our natural resources. Funding for projects like these is beneficial to ensuring the preservation of our local springs for generations to come.” 

Projects include:  

Continue reading →

Good river water quality 2022-09-01

Update 2022-09-09: Tifton sewage spill, Little River 2022-09-04.

All WWALS water quality results for Thursday came in below the one-time test limit of 410 cfu/100 mL. There has been rain, but not as much as it usually takes to wash significant contamination into the rivers. More rain is predicted for the next week, but no more than what we’ve seen this week.

Ashburn got around to reporting two sewage spills this week, but those are both old and on Hat Creek, far upstream from the top of the Alapaha River Water Trail, so probably they did not have much effect on that river.

Starke reported a sewage spill from two manholes, but it was small and not near a waterbody, so it probably had no effect on the Santa Fe River.

So by what we know today, happy swimming, boating, and fishing this weekend. Conditions could change rapidly, of course.

[Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide]
Chart, Rivers, Swim Guide

Thanks to Continue reading →

Detail of Sewage Spills: Valdosta, GA * 8, Starke, FL * 6, 2021-07-08

Update 2021-07-09: Bad Elsa aftermath, water quality, Withlacoochee River 2021-07-08.

The Valdosta spills actually add up to 90,300 gallons of raw sewage from seven locations, mostly in the Withlacoochee River Basin, but one into the Alapaha River Basin. Or more spills, since we have a report of one more that the city limed but did not include in its list of spills.

The Starke spills apparently came from six locations, probably adding up to 45,000 gallons of raw sewage, all uphill from Alligator Creek 00277787, above Lake Rowell, Lake Sampson, Sampson River, Santa Fe River.

[Valdosta spills, Starke spills and mines]
Valdosta spills, Starke spills and mines during Tropical Storm Elsa 2021-07-07

Still, the good news is that there were no spills from Valdosta’s two wastewater treatment plants, and the new WWTP catch basin is only half full (so far). Plus, the Mayor of Valdosta called to let us know about these spills. And he says the notorious Wainwright Drive manhole on Onemile Branch is finally getting some attention. Oh, and for once there was no spills reported on Mildred Street.

See also the previous WWALS blog post.

Valdosta Spills

Here is the Valdosta Press Release about their spills. I have added which [waterbody] the spill was on or uphill from. GA-EPD still has not posted Valdosta’s spill reports in the GA-EPD Sewage Spills Report.

The WWALS maps show where the spills were, as near as I could read the tea leaves of Valdosta’s vague “200 block” location reporting. They know the exact latitude and longitude of the affected manholes. Why don’t they include that?

Note that Valdosta’s list does not include a spill that Valdosta limed, between Continue reading →