Jeff Cole, Communications and Governmental Affairs Acting Director (386) 329-4497

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Niagara Bottling permit will not be considered Aug. 12

PALATKA, Fla., Aug. 5, 2008 — Based on the expected filing of a petition challenging the proposed issuance of a consumptive use permit to Niagara Bottling LLC, the permit application will not be considered by the District’s Governing Board at its Aug. 12 meeting.

Once a petition meeting statutory and rule requirements is filed with the District, the issue will be forwarded to the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH), a state agency established by Florida Statutes to hold hearings on disputes over actions by agencies in the state of Florida. The matter will be heard by a neutral administrative law judge who will conduct a formal administrative hearing on the permit application and make a recommendation to the District’s Governing Board.

The Governing Board will consider the administrative law judge’s recommendation and vote in a future public meeting to approve or deny the permit application. It is estimated that the judge’s recommendation will come before the Governing Board in approximately six months.

Updated information will be made available on the District’s Web site at www.sjrwmd.com/niagarabottlingpermit.

Niagara has applied for a consumptive use permit to withdraw 484,000 gallons of groundwater per day (on an average annual basis). It is proposing to manufacture plastic water bottles and to purify groundwater for bottled drinking water using a reverse osmosis process. Niagara’s facility is located in an industrial park located northwest of the city of Groveland in Lake County.

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