Jefferson County commissioners approved an ordinance Tuesday to combat saltwater intrusion in wells.
After three hours of discussion, commissioners grudgingly approved an ordinance that must be in place by Aug. 7, pursuant to a state hearings board ruling in January.
The ordinance calls for evaluation and monitoring of newly constructed water wells where saltwater intrusion has been a problem.
Commissioners voted 3-0 to approve the ordinance despite a unanimous Jefferson County Planning Commission recommendation to delay the regulations pending further study.
With the ordinance, Jefferson County is the only county in the state to be forced by a hearings board to develop regulations against saltwater intrusion.
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The rest of this story appears in the Wednesday Peninsula Daily News Jefferson County edition. Click on SUBSCRIBE to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.