Alabama joins Florida to request cap on Georgia water use
Alabama filed a brief Friday supporting Florida’s federal lawsuit to cap Georgia’s water use from federal reservoirs that terminate in Apalachicola Bay. The state cited its “long experience combating Georgia’s excessive withdrawals” and said Georgia “has largely chosen not to invest its resources in reservoirs and other infrastructure” as the population of Atlanta has outgrown its water supply. Florida filed the suit in 2013, arguing that Georgia’s excessive water use has been damaging the seafood industry in Apalachicola Bay, and Alabama is one of several parties to file a brief in support of Florida’s case ahead of the Oct. 21 deadline set by the court. In addition to Alabama, the National Audubon Society, Defenders of Wildlife, Florida Wildlife Federation, and Apalachicola Riverkeeper filed a joint brief in support of Florida’s suit. Those groups said the “long-term ecological sustainability of this vital and vibrant ecosystem depends, critically, on freshwater flows moving through the system at the right times” and that Georgia’s increased water consumption from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint system have dried out the Apalachicola River, “threatening the survival of numerous species and jeopardizing the economic vitality of local communities.” Georgia has its share of supporters as well, including Colorado, which argued in a brief that Florida must not only prove it has been damaged by the increased water use, but be able to show that the damage incurred is greater than the benefit received by Georgia. The case is set to go to trial Oct. 31 in Portland, Maine.
Conservation advocates file lawsuit against Army Corps of Engineers over Black Warrior River mine
Conservation groups have filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers‘ approval of a permit for a new mine on the Black Warrior River. Black Warrior Riverkeeper and Defenders of Wildlife filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Birmingham federal court. It accuses the Corps of Engineers of failing to fully weigh the effect on endangered wildlife and water quality by the filling of streams and wetlands. It also says the agency failed to consider the cumulative effect of the multiple mines located along the Warrior River. The river twists through coal-rich areas of the state According to the lawsuit, the Corps of Engineers granted the permit last year to Global Met Coal Corp. for Black Creek Mine. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
