Protect aquifer

Last week, I joined a brave group of protesters in Live Oak protecting Florida’s aquifer from a destructive natural gas pipeline called Sabal Trail. Two of those protesters, Kaithleen Hernandez and Alexa Oropessa, had the courage and character to risk bodily harm by attaching themselves with arm tubes to the bottom of a temporarily stopped truck bringing supplies to a Sabal drill site.

Local police were on the scene immediately while water protectors peacefully protested around the truck. The atmosphere was respectful between protesters and police until state troopers arrived and began unlawfully arresting the demonstrators.

Sabal Trail Pipeline is a 515-mile project that will run through Alabama, Georgia and Florida and stands to damage Florida’s drinking water. The company building the pipeline, Spectra Energy, also has a record of pipelines violently exploding.

My friends were unjustly arrested for standing up for our environment. As South Floridians, we cannot continue to be complacent while our environment is destroyed. Stop Sabal Trail.

This story was originally published January 22, 2017 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Protect aquifer."