ST. JOHNS RIVER Better Oversight Needed

The health of the St. Johns River became a priority last summer with the $742 million River Accord.

Jacksonville residents could finally envision a brighter future for the city’s most valuable natural asset.

But the return on the river investment could be compromised if monitoring isn’t up to par.

A study released this week by the St. Johns Riverkeeper and the Public Trust Environmental Law Institute gives reason to wonder how diligently the state is policing what goes into Duval County’s waterways.

LACK OF ENFORCEMENT

The study of permits issued by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection covers 18 months ending Aug. 31, 2006.

The permits are granted under federal Clean Water Act standards to city utilities and businesses discharging pollutants into a waterway from “point sources,” such as a pipe.

The Riverkeeper’s findings are worrisome: documented violations suggest a lack of enforcement.

Permits were violated 298 times during the study period, including 46 sanitary sewer overflows, the report says.

Those overflows dumped nearly 266,000 gallons of material into the St. Johns, mostly sewage-related.

At the top of the violations list was nitrogen, one of the nutrients whose excess quantities have fed past algal blooms in the river.

“The legal issue is that you break the law if you discharge more than allowed,” said Michael Howle, an attorney for the Riverkeeper.

In spite of the study, state regulators say they enforce the law with routine inspections, warning letters and consent agreements.

“We don’t take violations lightly,” spokeswoman Jill Johnson said.

Staff is analyzing the findings.

MORE TRANSPARENCY

As DEP formulates its response, it should improve access to public records.

Armingeon’s group noted files lacked data and sometimes were behind up to four months.

Other files were unavailable because staff members had them.

Offering public records online is a way to vastly improve access.

Under Gov. Charlie Crist, the department has been working toward online public records and better accessibility.

Many government agencies have chosen a date to begin electronic access. A useful example is the Department of Children and Families’ child care inspection reports.

The commitment to better maintaining and offering public records is key to the success of programs like the department’s “point source” permitting.

It allows the public and watchdog groups to fully understand how an enforcement agency is doing its job.

Instead of using department staff’s time and paying copying fees, or bringing your own document scanner, taxpayers can access documents from home or work.

And, electronic records better support a system based on self- reporting by permit-holders.

In the end, these measures are the degree of transparency the public is entitled to by law.

It’s the best way to know the sizable investment in the St. Johns River is protected.Review the Riverkeeper’s report at http:// stjohnsriverkeeper.org.

(c) 2007 Florida Times Union. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.