The administrative hearing on Friends of Perdido Bay's challenge to IP's proposed permit has been completed.....It will be 6 to 8 months before we know the final outcome, maybe longer.....IP has made the same promises it made 30 years ago - "It will come into compliance with all Florida's standards" ........In the meantime, IP continues to violate water quality standards in Elevenmile Creek and Perdido Bay.....There have been no fines by DEP or EPA.....IP is operating on a Federal permit issued in 1983 and a state permit issued in 1989.....Both permits have expired.......Conditions in Perdido Bay and Eleven Mile Creek continue to get worse....
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Reasons the new IP permit should be denied

Pollution of Perdido Bay by the papermill

2010 pictures of pollution

2009 pictures of pollution

2008 pictures of pollution

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Documents Page

Dioxin in Perdido Bay

A short history of Perdido Bay

PB 2004 Bacteria Report

PB 2005 Bacteria Report

PB 2006 Bacteria Report

PB 2007 Bacteria Report

PB 2008 Bacteria Report

PB 2009 Bacteria Report

PB 2010 Bacteria Report

Bacteriological Survey of Perdido watershed

Environmental Survey of Perdido Watershed

Pictures of Perdido River

Some strange foam near the beaches of Upper Perdido Bay on the morning of December 9, 2009. Will our state environmental agency do anything about this obvious pollution?

More paper mill foam on August 17, 2009 in Upper Perdido Bay. Where are the fines DEP? See more pictures in 2009 pollution pictures.

EPA is proposing a new numeric nutrient rule for Florida. These standards will protect aquatic life and restore impaired waters. These should help Perdido Bay.Click for the website

Is International Paper falsifying their tests results which they send to DEP? We think so.Click to see why

A new threat to the water quality in Perdido Bay has arisen. Bayou Marcus waste water treatment plant is proposing to increase its discharge to wetlands which drain into Perdido Bay. Studies have shown that there will be a net increase in nutrients entering Perdido Bay from this sewage. Click to read the draft permit for Bayou Marcus

The latest Toxic Release Inventory is out (this is for the year 2007). Among other toxic chemicals released into 11-Mile Creek, IP lists 160 pounds of lead and 6,286 pounds of barium discharged to 11-Mile Creek. IP also discharges material to the publicly-owned Escambia County landfill. Click for link to TRI

Perdido Bay makes up the border between Florida and Alabama. Perdido Bay encompasses an area of about 50 square miles with the state line running approximately down the centerline of the bay. It has an elongated shape which lies along a northeast-southwest axis. Perdido Bay is relatively shallow in the Upper part near the mouth of the Perdido River but gets deeper toward the Gulf of Mexico

The Perdido River provides most of the fresh water (>70%) for Perdido Bay. The Perdido River is a Florida outstanding water and the water quality in the upper Perdido River is considered to be very good. On a Sunday afternoon, sitting in the river on a lawn chair is refreshing. Click for visual image. The Perdido Bay watershed covers 1205 square miles which is considered large for a small bay. The Upper part of Perdido Bay and to some extent lower Perdido Bay are polluted with wastes from a paper mill, now owned by International Paper Company. See the photo pages and pollution page on the left.

It appears that International paper increased their flow into Eleven Mile Creek in late 2004 to mask their increased discharges to the creek.
Comparison of 23 years of gage height in Perdido River, Styx River and Elevenmile Creek

If you wish to join Friends of Perdido Bay Click to download form

A member who passed away recently remembered how bountiful and beautiful Perdido Bay was.
Click for her words

DEP has issued a new permit to the Bayou Marcus wastewater treatment plant.
Click here to read permit

Follow the administrative hearing in the IP permit case. Click to Friends of Perdido Bay - IP docket