Environment

The meeting surrounds the water bottling permit for Seven Springs Water Company, a company contracted by multinational corporation Nestlé, to take nearly one million gallons of water a day from Ginnie Springs.

Two remaining counts of the complaint center on declarative and injunctive relief, arguing Alachua County’s charter amendment is unconstitutional based on Florida state law. The cities involved in the challenge will now decide whether to appeal the decision or await a final resolution of the remaining two counts. 

The chemical family known as PFAS, ubiquitous in everything from waterproof fabrics to nonstick cookware, is also becoming common in water, soil, land—and our bodies. While these “Forever Chemicals” are linked to serious adverse human health outcomes including cancer, neither the federal government nor Florida has regulated them closely.

Seven Springs will soon know if they will be granted a permit to take nearly one million gallons of water a day from Ginnie Springs in Florida. A special meeting has been scheduled by the Suwannee River Management District Board to make a decision.

University of Florida students and faculty are fighting back on a new master plan provision that would open a conservation area to partial development on McCarty Woods. The 2.9 acres were preserved in 2000 because of its value as a natural teaching and research laboratory.

Governor Ron DeSantis has proposed a $96.6 billion state budget plan relating to COVID-19, public funding and environmental issues.