<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1hVQby_1Ef43FGR00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1hVQby_1Ef43FGR00" width="700" height="394" ><p><b>JACKSONVILLE, Fla.</b> – A Jacksonville environmental group is suing a private port, saying years of watching from the air, land, and water have built a case ready to be proven in court.</p><p>The St. Johns Riverkeeper, represented by the Public Trust for Conservation, filed a federal lawsuit against Keystone Terminal in Talleyrand. The group says the facility is violating environmental laws through the way it stores and transports coal ash — including alleged discharges into the St. Johns River and contamination of groundwater.</p><p>“Private companies have a responsibility not to pollute the air, to handle hazardous materials properly. And none of that’s been handled properly,” said Lisa Rinaman of the St. Johns Riverkeeper.</p><h2>What the lawsuit alleges</h2><p>Keystone Terminal is a temporary stop for coal ash — the material arrives at the facility before being transported elsewhere. The Riverkeeper says coal ash can contain dangerous contaminants, including lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, and selenium, and that those pollutants don’t necessarily stay where the ash is stored.</p><p>“When you have these toxic, hazardous materials going to the St. Johns, it contaminates the water, can then contaminate the soil. So that becomes a problem over a long period of time. It also can get into the food chain,” Rinaman said.</p><p>The group says it has monitored Keystone’s operations since 2021 using surveillance from the air, land, and water. Rinaman says ash is being stored outside designated areas without the water suppression required by law.</p><p>“We’re also seeing that they’re storing it off the pad in areas that you’re not allowed to store this type of material. They’re supposed to suppress it with water. They’re storing in areas that do not have a water suppression. And so that makes it very vulnerable to air pollution,” she said.</p><h2>The key part of the case</h2><p>The Riverkeeper also points to a 2021 coal ash spill as a key piece of evidence. That year, a barge carrying ash from Puerto Rico ran aground near the mouth of the St. Johns River and roughly 9,000 tons entered the water. That shipment was headed to Keystone Terminal.</p><p>Keystone holds an exemption from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, meaning the facility does not need a permit for its operation — as long as it does not discharge pollution. The Riverkeeper says that threshold has been crossed.</p><p>News4JAX reached out to Keystone Terminal by phone, email, and in person at the facility and has not received a response.</p><p>The Riverkeeper gave Keystone 90 days to address its concerns. When the group saw no meaningful change, it filed the lawsuit giving the company 60 more days to respond to the complaint.</p><p>“We believe that a healthy river drives a healthy economy. And so this is important for river health but also the health of Jacksonville,” Rinaman said.</p><p>The Riverkeeper says she hopes to see a clear plan for how the company will address these issues.</p></div></body>

Block Source: News4Jax.com

Misinformation

Clickbait

Old or repetitive news

Explicit content

Location not relevant

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville environmental group is suing a private port, saying years of watching from the air, land, and water have built a case ready to be proven in court. The St. Johns Riverkeeper, represented by the Public Trust for Conservation, filed a federal lawsuit against Keystone...

St. Johns Riverkeeper sues Keystone Terminal, says it violates environmental laws with coal ash storage, transports

Comments