Public Hearing Set for Fenholloway River Discharge

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has announced a public hearing will be scheduled for Georgia-Pacific's permit application to discharge industrial wastewater into the Fenholloway River. This move follows significant opposition from local elected officials, business leaders, and clean water advocates, who fear renewed pollution in a river historically known as the state's most contaminated.

The draft permit, published on January 23, would allow the discharge of effluent from the recently closed 70-year-old paper mill in Foley. Concerns center on the potential for toxic byproducts like dioxins to enter the water, and the degradation of the Fenholloway, a river that has undergone years of rehabilitation.

Taylor County officials have voiced specific concerns, including the adequacy of dilution at the proposed discharge point and the potential for large, uncontrolled releases. The Fenholloway Coalition and the Taylor County Development Authority have actively campaigned against the permit, highlighting a perceived lack of transparency from regulators.

Adding to the complexity is a pipeline dispute. Georgia-Pacific is seeking to discharge wastewater at a new location on U.S. Highway 27 because an expired easement prevents use of a 15-mile pipeline that discharges into the Gulf. This situation will be discussed at the upcoming public hearing, providing residents an opportunity to voice their input before a final decision is made by March 25.