To take the pulse of the heart of Florida's environmental movement, you might want to skip the Everglades Coalition's annual meeting at the Hilton in downtown Miami and see what a group of activists is trying to do in Martin County; force FPL to open the Barley Barber Swamp. They have camped out outside the 455 acre Barley Barber Swamp that is closed off by Florida Power and Light. The protesters claim the power plant is sucking out water from the aquifer for cooling purposes and drying out the wetland, threatening some of the oldest cypress stands in the state of Florida. FPL has refused access to the swamp, and so yesterday the protesters took their complaint outside FPL's corporate headquarters. The Indiantown plant only withdraws a million and a half gallons per day; Turkey Point's new cooling units for additional nuclear will take more than 40 times that amount, daily. FPL still has not told Miami-Dade residents and taxpayers its plan, although the costs are being picked up by you every time you turn on your light or your computer! Click read more for the Palm Beach Post story.
PALM BEACH POST
January 8th, 2009 by Post Staff
By BILL DIPAOLO
Chanting "open the swamp or we're coming in," about a dozen protesters gathered at Florida Power & Light Co.'s headquarters Thursday to demand opening of a Martin County wetland preserve they say is being drained dry by the company's power plant.
The protesters, who have been camping out around-the-clock in shifts outside the 455-acre Barley Barber Swamp since Monday, said they will defy the no-trespassing signs and enter the swamp on Saturday. They contend the power plant near Indiantown pulls water for cooling and dries out the wetland, threatening acres of cypress trees.
FPL closed the swamp after the Sept. 11 attacks and plans to reopen it in 2010.
"This unique ecosystem continues to thrive just as it has since FP&L voluntarily preserved it 30 years ago," Sarah Marmion, FPL spokesperson, said by e-mail.
No comments:
Post a Comment