x-sender: governor.haley@sc.lmhostediq.com x-receiver: governor.haley@sc.lmhostediq.com Received: from mail pickup service by IQ12 with Microsoft SMTPSVC; Wed, 9 Apr 2014 16:03:48 -0400 thread-index: Ac9ULtHnVGR7uQFwRGSEMuXhEorx/g== Thread-Topic: Endangered Edisto River Surface Water Moratorium Please Pass to Gov. She Will Be Asked for Response on Subject From: To: Subject: Endangered Edisto River Surface Water Moratorium Please Pass to Gov. She Will Be Asked for Response on Subject Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2014 16:03:48 -0400 Message-ID: <4AA704135D9C4DCE95C622955E652A98@IQ12> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Microsoft CDO for Windows 2000 Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message Importance: normal Priority: normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.1.7601.17609 X-OriginalArrivalTime: 09 Apr 2014 20:03:48.0588 (UTC) FILETIME=[D20622C0:01CF542E] CUSTOM Mr. Doug Busbee Owner Operator Busbee Truck Parts 4107 Festival Trail Rd. Wagener SC 29164 doug@busbeetruckparts.com 803-606-2438 LETT Endangered Edisto River Surface Water Moratorium Please Pass to Gov. She Will Be Asked for Response on Subject Doug Busbee Owner/Operator Busbee Truck Parts P.O. Box 267 4107 Festival Trail Rd. Wagener, S.C. 29164 Aiken County Edisto River Moratorium On Agricultural Withdrawal Registrations Governor Haley, I am sure by now you are aware of the endangered status and our situation on the South Edisto River concerning the mega potato farm. The current surface water law was passed by the legislators in good faith, believing that it helped our local South Carolina farmers but the law put no limit on big withdrawals. The law was also written in a deceptive manner in that agriculture was not listed under the list of exemptions but was buried in the small print definitions. This one farm is being backed by Wall Street (Frito-Lay/PepsiCo) and has plans to obtain a total of 10,000 acres under cultivation. The local economy will receive 10 jobs and a dollar per acre in property taxes. That's not a good trade for sterilizing and industrializing 10,000 acres without a tree, without a bush, not even a weed. Bottom line is they are here for our most precious resource WATER. At the moment we are blessed with an abundance of water; but when droughts come- and they will- who will suffer? 1. Our local farmers downstream 2. Our river's ecosystems, ultimately destroying one of our most valuable resources 3. The whole state of South Carolina. Our state will become like Colorado and California where rivers don't even reach the oceans and well drillers race to see who can dig the deepest well first. We must address this problem now before it becomes a tragedy. The debate about surface water withdrawal should be held in a public forum and debated in our legislature and senate for the whole state to decide about the pros and cons. Farm Bureau and Hugh Weathers support the current law and have decided that anybody who opposes them is a radical. The truth is most of us have never been involved in a conservation group in our lives until this event happened. We want law makers to understand Farm Bureau does not speak for all farmers. We are beginning to believe they just favor the out of state mega farmers. We are farmers, business men, developers, and conservationist who see the devastating potential of this law for our rivers if this law stands as written. We are meeting with Mr. David Winkles, President of Farm Bureau on April 18th 2014 in hopes that he will see the truth. (SC Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers has been invited as well.) There are four major problems that we see with the current surface water law pertaining to agricultural exemptions as admitted in the meeting conducted by DHEC on January 7th, in Aiken, SC. 1. SECRECY: No public notice required of mega water withdrawals from rivers and streams. The river belongs to the people of SC, and they should know what happens to the water, especially when water is being used for corporate profits. 2. PUMPING THE RIVER DRY: The Current save yield formula is based on mean river level for an entire year not on the growing season when the river is at its lowest. Under current law there is no recourse against any agricultural entity that pumps the river dry. This would have happened 6 times since 1990 base on the initial withdrawal amount on the first Walther farm using the USGS stats says Dr. Allen of USC. 3. ETERNAL WATER GRANTS: Water grants are FOREVER and have no review even if climate changes or needs of other farmers change, and are on a "first come-first serve" basis, with no regard for water needs that may develop in the future. 4. NO INPUT FROM DNR OR CORPS OF ENGINEERS: The law does not permit DNR or Corps of Engineers, who understand our rivers best, to have any say in the allocation of our most precious resource, WATER. No logical person can argue that any of these are good for our state! I am asking you, Gov. Hailey to impose a moratorium on new agricultural surface water withdrawals- as suggested by Rep. Bill Taylor (Aiken County) and Rep. James Smith (Richland County)- until our law makers have time to make an informed and logical fact-based decision with input from all sides of the equation. A moratorium is necessary because out of the owners own mouth they plan to expand again next year says Jason Walther. It is critical that a better law concerning surface water and ground water be enacted, before we have a situation like the ongoing water rationing in California. We can also learn from Georgia's problems with the Flint River, which has been over-permitted and over-pumped. Note Walthers has a farm in this area as well. We need your help! What we decide right now will determine the future of our state. Our state needs jobs, but if we sacrifice our water and rivers we will not have a state worth living in. We do not want to become the "Love Canal" of the 21st century just to say that we are an industrialized state. Why do you think everyone from the north wants to live here? It's because we have a beautiful state from the beaches to the mountains and it all involves water. If you have questions about my character or credibility please check with Col. Todd Shealy of SC National Guard. I'm sure your husband and you know him well. Thank you Sincerely, Doug Busbee Cell#: 803-606-2438 doug@busbeetruckparts.com