Statement by CARE FL RE: South Florida Water Management District Issuance of an Environmental Resource Permit for All Aboard Florida

Statement by CARE FL Steering Committee Chairman Brent Hanlon

RE: South Florida Water Management District Issuance of an Environmental Resource Permit for All Aboard Florida

“Today on August 19, 2016, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) issued an Environmental Resource Permit for the All Aboard Florida (AAF) high-speed passenger rail project.  Citizens Against Rail Expansion in Florida (CARE FL) believes that the SFWMD should not have issued a permit at this time.

“This permit is just one of CARE FL’s many environmental concerns related to the ill-conceived AAF proposal.  At the federal level, a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) over a year ago.  This analysis was highly flawed and its conclusions should be subject to challenge. Additionally, the corresponding required Record of Decision (ROD) was never issued, leaving us in legal “limbo” which ultimately prevents CARE FL and other likeminded parties from challenging the FEIS’ flawed conclusions.

“AAF must still obtain a number of permits from various federal and state agencies to move this project forward, and, unfortunately, AAF benefits from a permit-by-permit review—such as the recent SFWMD issuance—instead of an initial comprehensive review at the federal level.

“CARE FL believes that this piecemeal approach—which is the result of a manipulation of the process by USDOT and AAF—is not in our community’s best interest.  Instead, USDOT should issue a ROD, so that our community can challenge the FEIS and its faulty conclusions.”

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CARE FL is a coalition created by a group of concerned community leaders, organizations and neighbors in South Florida and the Treasure Coast. Our group continues to grow. We share a common goal: Protecting the safety, welfare and way of life for the families, businesses and retirees who live in and around our communities. To learn more about CARE FL’s concerns, visitwww.saveourfl.com and follow us on Twitter@CARE_FL or like us on Facebook.