MONROE COUNTY PASSES RESOLUTION EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT THREAT POSED TO WATER SUPPLY BY HYPERSALINE PLUME CAUSED BY NUCLEAR PLANT 

The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners approved a resolution that expresses the County’s concern of the threat posed to its water supply by the hypersaline plume emanating beyond the boundaries of the cooling canal system at Florida Light and Power Company’s Turkey Point nuclear facility.

“We need to keep the pressure on,” Monroe County Commissioner Sylvia Murphy said.

The plume threatens the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority’s Florida City wellfields, which provide potable water to the Florida Keys from water drawn from the Biscayne Aquifer. Those wellfields are less than 10 miles from Turkey Point.

At the Board of County Commissioner’s Special Meeting on April 13, the Commissioners voted to send a letter to Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez to express Monroe County’s “mutual interests in protecting our shared environmental and water resources

“We are hopeful that opening a dialogue will result in more substantial progress on ameliorating the problems associated with [cooling canal system] operations.”

The Monroe County resolution passed on Wednesday also encourages FKAA to take all necessary steps to protect the County’s potable water supply and the wellfields and expresses the County’s willingness to provide material support to the FKAA to enhance its current protective efforts.

The resolution also is part of an eight-point action plan to address the plume, which the Commission agrees does not pose an immediate threat to the Keys’ water supply but needs to be dealt with now to prevent future problems.

“This is the environment you are dealing with,” Monroe County Mayor Heather Carruthers said. “It doesn’t turn around on a dime.”

The action plan includes additional engagement with the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority and other agencies, a joint meeting with Miami-Dade County officials, possible independent analysis of conflicting scientific data, and closely following the Oct. 6, 2015 consent agreement entered into by the Miami-Dade County’s Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources and FPL. That agreement – which stems from DERM’s issuance of a Notice of Violation and Orders for Corrective Action – requires the utility to construct and operate up to six wells so that hypersaline water can be injected deep into the Aquifer.

“I would encourage FPL to implement actions beyond the point of what you are required to do,” Monroe County Commissioner David Rice said to Florida Power and Light’s Vice President of State Government Affairs Mike Sole, who made a presentation at the meeting.

“I think we can all agree there have been years of looking at a developing problem without timely action,” Rice continued. “Giving that circumstances, people are very apprehensive. FPL has lost a certain amount of public trust.”

Monroe County’s action plan also calls for County Attorney Bob Shillinger to continue looking into legal options.

“To me, the regulatory agencies haven’t done their jobs for years,” said Monroe County Commissioner Danny Kolhage. He added that he is looking for “more substantive” actions for the Commission to take.

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