TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A proposed wastewater pipeline in North Florida has two counties at odds.
For decades, the Foley Cellulose Mill in Taylor County has used the Fenholloway river for industrial dumping.
Now, the construction of a new pipeline is causing concern among environmentalists, as its new dumping site moves closer to the Gulf of Mexico.
At the heart of the issue is water quality and damages that the proposed Foley Cellulose Pipeline in Taylor County could have on neighboring Wakulla County, a county that depends on its waters for economic viability.
Although the project may have immediate benefits many are worried about the long term damages and harm to the area communities.
"Taylor County made the choice for those jobs I understand that, but don't give us your pollutants," said Dr. Howard Kessler, a Wakulla County commissioner.
Jim Moody, a Taylor County commissioner had opposing feeling. "This is the lively hood of Taylor County to start with and people have seen the change in the Mill over the years and seen how they have improved it and how much money they have spent on the environment end of the amount of effluent going out of the mill."
Georgia Pacific's Foley Cellulose Mill in Perry, is its economic engine creating 17%-20% of the jobs in Taylor County, contributing millions of dollars to the area.
The recent plans to extend a chemical effluent pipe downstream on the Fenholloway River's mouth about a mile from the Gulf of Mexico, has created a stir with neighboring Wakulla County.
Wakulla County's coastline is about 20 miles from the river's mouth, and county commissioners are concerned the toxic waste being dumped could negatively impact the grass beds, aquatic life, water quality, and ultimately public health of its residents.
"The concern that I and many others have is what is being dumped what was the Fenholloway River is a toxic mixture of harmful chemicals among them is dioxin," said Kessler.
Dioxins are a group of chemically-related compounds that are persistent environmental pollutants and are mainly by-products of industrial processes. More than 90% of human exposure is through food, mainly meat, dairy products, fish and shellfish.
According to Scott Mixon with Foley Cellulose, the plant hasn't registered Dioxin in it's testing in years.
"People often focus on the pipeline and moving the discharge point. Before we move the effluent discharge we're going to redo and implement our wast water treatment system."
So far the company has spent over a 120-million dollars in Mill improvements which have helped produce a cleaner discharge. Another 70 to 100-million dollars is expected to be spent on a New Waste Water Treatment facility which will greatly reduce the toxicity of the effluent being discharged.
That phase of the project must be completed first before the Pipeline can project can move forward.
In it's current state, the river is acting as a filtration system for the Mill. Many of the chemicals precipitate out when they hit the water settling at the bottom of the river.
Many believe the proposed pipeline will eliminate the filtration process and dump a more concentrated waste closer to the Gulf. The fact is the effluent will first be processed through a new Waste Water Treatment System before being discharged down the pipeline, making it an even cleaner effluent than current conditions.
Mixon said, "The color of the water is something we're really focused on. We've already achieved a 54% reduction. We are using the best technologies that is available to us to bring the River back to a class-3 standard and bring the River back to what is was prior to 1954 when the mill was built."
But not everyone is on board with the changes
"It's just not the matter of, I have this permit to build this pipeline so therefore I can Build it, It's let do what's right for the people and let's do what's right for the environment," said Kessler.
Currently the permitting for the Foley Cellulose Pipeline sits with the Corp. of Army Engineers.
There is still an appealing process and Commissioners in Wakulla County are urging the public to get involved. They will be having talks with the Environmental Protection Agency to hopefully get some type of compromise or understanding before the plan gets underway.
If you have a story idea for the INSIDERS send us an email to abc27News@wtxl.tv attention the INSIDERS.
