Brevard Comments on DEP IRL Wastewater Discharge
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has invited comments and requests for public meetings from the general public. Concerned Brevard County residents and environmental organizations have responded with numerous petitions, social media posts and personal comments opposing the approval of a FDEP permit to discharge up to .5 million gallons per day (182.5 million gallons per year) of stormwater runoff and industrial process water into the imperiled Indian River Lagoon, an Outstanding Florida Water and EPA Estuary of National Significance.
Roundtable DEP Waste Water Permit Meeting Request
The IRL Roundtable responded by requesting a public meeting using a concise format with brief bullet point comments.
Randall Cunningham
3319 Maguire Blvd, Suite 232
Orlando, Florida 32803-3767
DEP_CD@FloridaDEP.gov
December 3, 2025
RE: Notice of Draft Permit No.FLOA0000-7-002-IW7A, Blue Origin OLS Manufacturing Complex Wastewater Discharge
a. Name, Address of Commenter and Applicant
Commenter:
Indian River Lagoon Roundtable
Street
City, State, Zip
Applicant:
Blue Origin, LLC
8082 Space Commerce Way
Merritt Island, Florida 32953-8703
Permit No: FLOA0000-7-002-IW7A
County: Brevard
b. Notice received from community resources on November 16, 2025
c. Statement of Facts
● The Indian River Lagoon(IRL) is a National Estuary of Importance and an Outstanding Florida Waterway that is impaired.
● The annual economic value of the IRL is estimated at 28.3 billion dollars.
● The estimated cost of restoring the IRL to correct and repair the impact of past bad management decisions is 14 billion dollars.
● The additional annual inflow of ~182,500,000 gallons of fresh wastewater mixed with polluted stormwater will severely reduce the water quality and salinity of the Northern IRL(NIRL) and prevent the restoration of critical sea grass and other marine life.
● Precedence established by the granting of the 2022 SpaceX Wastewater NO. FL0AOOO32-001-IW7D discharge permit, if continued by this action for Blue Origin, will ensure that additional permits are approved.
d. Statement of Rules or Statutes That May Require Modification
● NPDES
● Chapter 62-302 F.A.C.
● Chapter 62-302.400 F.A.C. Prohibition of Stormwater Degradation
● Chapter 62-302.700 F.A.C. Prohibition of Waste Water Degradation
● IRL Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) “New Development”
e. Public Meeting Request
We request that a hybrid public meeting be held in Brevard County after 5pm in a facility seating 200+ attendees.
● Impact of permit on water quality and salinity
● Water treatment process and results
● Stormwater pond efficacy, current data and predicted results
● Current analysis of receiving IRL waters
● Predicted analysis of IRL waters with additional ~ half million gpd inflow
● Alternate methods of wastewater management
Download: IRL Roundtable DEP Blue Origin Wastewater Discharge Response
