Ed Tichenor has been fighting this battle virtually alone, and
mostly with his own money, because everyone assumed that
recreational divers would not be heard by the authorities.

We all owe Ed a huge debt.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

Excerpts from FDEP July 13, 2005, correspondence
Re: Delray Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant Ocean Outfall
Discharge Permit
Reapplication:

Florida Department of
Environmental Protection
Southeast District
400 N. Congress Ave., Suite 200
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401
Jeb Bush Governor





July 13, 2005

South Central Regional Wastewater Treatment & Disposal Board
1801 N. Congress Avenue
Delray Beach, Florida 33445

This is to acknowledge receipt of the referenced application for
a wastewater
permit for the referenced proposed facility. The application is
incomplete.
In order to complete review of your application pursuant to
Section 403.087(4),
Florida Statutes (F.S.) and Chapters 62-4 and 62-620, Florida
Administrative
Code (F.A.C.), please provide the information listed below.
Evaluation of the
proposed project will be delayed until all requested information
has been
received…

A group of recreational divers, Palm Beach County Reef Rescue
(PBCRR), have
been monitoring periodic algae blooms (Lyngbya spp.) on the Gulf
Stream Reef
immediately north of the outfall. Their reports have documented
that the blooms
are occurring on this reef, which is generally downstream
(north) of the
discharge, but not on the reef to the south (generally upstream)
of the outfall.
These observations warrant serious consideration of the impacts
that the outfall
may be causing or contributing to. Under the Clean Water Act and
Florida law,
wastewater discharges must not degrade receiving waters. The
Department needs
additional monitoring data to have reasonable assurance that the
discharge is
not causing or contributing to these algae blooms and subsequent
harmful
impacts on the reef system. Therefore we are requesting the
utility to propose a
monitoring program in the receiving waters which will provide
additional
information to evaluate the potential impacts of the outfall…

Therefore we request that you examine the feasibility of at
least three
alternative methods of treatment/disposal:

a.  Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT) as defined in Florida
Statutes
section 403.086(4), with and without high level disinfection.

b.  Reduction of effluent nitrogen, specifically ammonia and TKN
through
nitrification/denitrification treatment facilities.

c.  Construction of a deep injection well to be used for primary
disposal or
backup to the reuse system.

Please provide the requested information as soon as possible,
but no later
than 45 days from the receipt of this letter.

Sincerely,
FDEP Wastewater Permitting Section

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

for more info, or to get involved in saving the Boynton reefs
(or send money to):

Ed Tichenor, Director
Palm Beach County Reef Rescue
PO Box 207
Boynton Beach, FL 33425
www.reef-rescue.org
fax: (561) 364-5951
phone: (561) 699-8559