Feds: Endangered fish 'vulnerable to disturbance' from wells for Hyundai's Georgia site

Add endangered fish to the list of concerns about wells that would supply up to 6.6 million gallons of water per day for Hyundai Motor Company ’s electric vehicle and battery manufacturing complex in Bryan County.

In a March 8 letter, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries division directed the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to consider the impact of withdrawals from the Floridan Aquifer on two species of federally protected sturgeon.

The request was part of the comment process ahead of EPD’s release this week of draft permits for the four proposed wells in Bulloch County.

Potential changes in water temperature and oxygen levels in the Savannah and Ogeechee rivers related to pumping such large amounts from the aquifer below could harm shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon, both of which are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act , NOAA said in its letter.

Both species rely on fresh water in the two rivers for spawning, and flow and temperature play a critical role in triggering reproductive behavior, NOAA explained.

“All information available regarding the populations of both shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon in the Ogeechee River indicates their numbers are depressed and they are vulnerable to disturbance,” NOAA said in its letter.

Both species are anadromous, which means they come upstream from the coast to spawn and hatch in river channels' rocky shoals. The so-called river monsters have been around for millions of years and thrived until overfishing, pollution and habitat loss led to their decline.

Shortnose sturgeon grow to a length of 4.5 feet while their Atlantic cousins can reach 14 feet and weigh as much as 800 pounds.

While not familiar with NOAA’s appeal, Ogeechee Riverkeeper Damon Mullis said he agreed with the agency’s premise.

“Our overuse of the (Floridan) aquifer has reduced stream flows in the Ogeechee due to natural groundwater springs drying up, and it would be reasonable to conclude that the Hyundai supply wells would exacerbate the issue,” he explained.

That’s because the springs are cooler than the river, so when they flow into the Ogeechee, they help regulate the water temperature. Without that transfer from the springs, the river stays warmer.

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‘Otherwise illegal take of listed species’

Had the wells required federal permits, NOAA would have worked directly with the appropriate agency to address any concerns about impacts on protected species and their habitats, said NOAA Fisheries spokeswoman Allison Garrett.

But because the state is responsible for the environmental permits, the NOAA shared its concerns with EPD.

Under the Endangered Species Act, if an action has an “unintentional, but not unexpected” impact on a protected species, it is considered an “incidental take.”

In that case, EPD or Bryan and Bulloch counties would be required to apply to NOAA for a permit that would “authorize the otherwise illegal take of listed species,” Garrett explained. “There has not been an application for an incidental take permit for this project.”

When asked about the process, an EPD spokeswoman questioned the premise of NOAA’s communication with the agency.

Because a clay-rich 400-foot layer separates the aquifer from the surface, the Floridan  “does not have a hydraulic connection with the Savannah River (or) the Ogeechee River,” said EPD’s Sara Lipps. “There is not the prospect of dewatering the Ogeechee River (or) the Savannah River.”

However, that does not address the drying up of springs that help regulate the temperature of the rivers.

“These are legitimate concerns that NOAA has raised,” said Mullis, the Ogeechee Riverkeeper.

Crossing the border

EPD’s recent release of the long-awaited draft permits for the wells came two weeks after local agreements were finalized to draw water from the Floridan Aquifer in Bulloch County and send it to Hyundai’s nearly 2,500-acre complex in Bryan County.

Bryan, bound by a joint development agreement to supply water for the $7.6 billion manufacturing complex, is going outside the county because it is subject to state withdrawal limits aimed at limiting saltwater intrusion in the aquifer near Savannah.

EPD estimates the depth of the Floridan will drop by as much as 19 feet near the new wells, and that private wells could decline by up to 15 feet.

Bryan and Bulloch commissioners agreed last month to create a fund to help property owners whose wells are impacted, with each county initially contributing $250,000.  EPD added that the fund "may include contributions from other entities," but did not single any out. Some critics of the project have insisted that Hyundai should be aiding the effort.

EPD said it will accept comments on the proposed permits until Aug. 20 and will host a public meeting , 6 to 9 p.m., Aug. 13 at Southeast Bulloch High School, 9184 Brooklet-Denmark Road, Brooklet, Georgia.

John Deem covers climate change and the environment in coastal Georgia. He can be reached at 912-652-0213 or jdeem@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Feds: Endangered fish 'vulnerable to disturbance' from wells for Hyundai's Georgia site