EPD issues Hyundai water supply draft permits

ELLABELL, Ga. (WSAV) – The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has released draft permits for Hyundai water use following a February informational meeting on the proposed drilling.

The Bulloch County manager has said the EPD received thousands of public comments on the issue. Those comments have been considered and draft permits for new wells in the region have been issued.

The drafts include special conditions requiring Bryan and Bulloch counties to find an alternative water source within a 25-year deadline.

They’re also required to have a fund set up before they can drill to help residents whose water levels may drop in their wells at home.

Some worry about the use of the Floridan aquifer as the source of Hyundai’s water supply, projected to need 6.6 million gallons per day.

EPD responded to their comments saying water levels in residential wells that are within a 5-mile radius of the new wells could drop up to 19 feet towards the center. They say that outside of that radius, they expect the impact to be a lot less.

They assured concerned residents that the Floridan aquifer would not go dry with the draft permits issued and that both the Ogeechee and Savannah rivers have no connection to the aquifer and would not be affected by groundwater withdrawal.

Some commenters were concerned about saltwater contaminating the aquifer. The EPD responded by saying saltwater can only enter the aquifer from the north near Hilton Head Island. If they did put more pressure on the aquifer beyond what was decided in the permit, saltwater could make its way underneath Savannah and stop there, but they say that could take more than a century of heavy pressure on the aquifer.

They did use some suggestions from comments, adding a special condition to permits that both Bryan and Bulloch will have to list water source alternatives that they are considering in their initial report, which comes six months after the permit is issued, and in every annual report after that.

A public meeting is scheduled for Aug. 13 in Bulloch County. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division is accepting comments online through Aug. 20.