"Seventeen Earth First! activists were arrested this afternoon in an effort to re-open Barley Barber swamp for public use and immediate scientific monitoring. Expressing great concern for the impact Florida Power and Light has had on this landmark property, activists engaged in civil disobedience to assert the need for immediate independent scientific monitoring of the oldest bald cypress trees in Florida. The group has made multiple requests of FPL to re-open the swamp and address the deteriorating condition of the area they promised to preserve.
Six of the activists entered the area of the Barley Barber swamp where the old boardwalk still stands awaiting visitors. They refused to leave their positions in the swamp without an official commitment from FPL to end their contamination and draining of area wetlands. Others were arrested during a support rally on adjacent property.
"I do not want to be arrested, but I will take the risk in order to raise awareness about the slow death that is occurring in the Barley Barber Swamp," said Stevie Lowe a Palm Beach County resident who is now in custody for trespassing into the closed swamp. "When FPL took ownership of this landmark they promised to preserve the old growth. They have not. They have expanded their power plant facility which has drained the swamp of its water and is causing it to die."
Noting the expansion of FPL power plants in the region, another arrested activist Ben Korn stated; "FPL has placed the two largest fossil fuel power plants in the entire country between Lake Okeechobee and the Loxahatchee River. They have not provided full environmental impact statements for either facility which drain water from the aquifer and release mercury contaminants. In seeing the harm done to Barley Barber, we reiterate our concern for the impact the West County Energy Center will have on the Loxahatchee River Basin and the greater Everglades."
Activist Russ McSpadden further added that "FPL must be held accountable. If the elected officials and state agencies assigned to protect our wetlands will not do their job, then we must do everything in our power to help save these precious areas. Our actions are already bearing fruit. FPL has now promised to reopen the swamp in 2010. We intend to hold them to their word and push for an early opening for scientific monitoring and will continue our fight against the West County Energy Center."
Members of the group will be outside Martin County Jail this evening for press comments."
ORIGINAL SOURCE: Infoshop News
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