On August 1, 2022, Friends of the Everglades Executive Director Eve Samples submitted comments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project (LOWRP) Third Revised Draft PIR/SEIS.
Earlier this year, Friends submitted comments that raised concerns about the risks and rising costs associated with implementation of Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) wells on this unprecedented scale.
As referenced in the following comments, Friends of the Everglades remains concerned that additional scrutiny is necessary to ensure that the Army Corps has the needed scientific foundation to be sure that LOWRP will not adversely affect aquatic ecosystem, will be cost-effective, and will provide the claimed benefits.
As the letter states, “Myriad questions remain about LOWRP’s safety and efficacy. This is a matter of public health and substantial taxpayer investment. Only after the National Academy of Sciences deems that ASR is safe in this application — and the problems identified in 2015 have been conclusively resolved — should Congress consider authorizing this project.”
