“The DOT is using federal highway funds to pay for this ruinous road project, [Volusia County Chair Jeff] Brower noted. That means it is subject to federal law, including the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires an environmental impact study of something so clearly destructive.
Except, believe it or not, the DOT claimed this infuriating interchange qualifies for an exemption from the environmental policy act. Thus, it never bothered writing an environmental impact statement, according to Brower.”
“If Gov. DeSantis really wants to oust officials, here’s a list” by Craig Pittman, Tampa Bay Times
“Please be aware that the I-95 Pioneer Trail Interchange is very unpopular among
my constituents. Volusia County residents see the I-95 Pioneer Trail Interchange as
an example of prioritizing politically connected developers over residents. This
Interchange will also be seen as an example of “privatizing the profits and socializing the
costs” at the expense of taxpayers. It will further degrade our already destroyed water
quality and quantity. It will intentionally inject unwanted sprawl, congestion and pollution
into lands designated for Florida Wildlife Corridor protection. It will further degrade the
quality of life of Volusia County residents. The I-95 Pioneer Trail Interchange Project
illustrates an abuse and misuse of government funds for the purpose of facilitating
politically connected developer profit seeking at the expense of the public good. I am
staunchly opposed to this project and am confident that I speak for a majority of Volusia
voters.
Volusia County Chair Jeff Brower in letter “Re: Request for Investigation into Improper use of Categorical Exclusion for the I-95Pioneer Trail Interchange—Volusia County, Florida” dated July 27, 2022 to Governor DeSantis and others
“The battle over this interchange is a classic Florida story: It has stretched over decades; the players include a politically well-connected developer; and it pits preserving our natural environment against classic urban sprawl. Florida’s natural environment is usually the underdog in these battles, but this time the will of the people will win.”
Congressman Charlie Crist, FL-13
June 12, 2022, Daytona Beach News-Journal or link to News-Journal Letter
“Another notably awful [environmental travesty] is to create a new interchange on I-95 in Port Orange, which will wreak ecological havoc on the beautiful Spruce Creek. The main beneficiary of this project will be ICI Homes, a homebuilding company that seeks to destroy wetlands for sprawling development in this area.”
Richard Thripp, “Over-development and recklessness threatens Volusia County water, ecosystems: Blue Springs, Spruce Creek and Charlie Crist’s promise” published June 29, 2022
“An oligarchy, with its system of favoritism toward certain elites and special interests, deliberately fosters corruption as a function of its existence. It is often stacked against environmental causes in ways different from a decaying representative democracy. Combine the worst attributes of capitalism with oligarchy and in the future, Florida’s leaders may actually give developers and other special interests even more tools of suppression.”
Jeff VanderMeer, in “The Annihilation of Florida: A National Tragedy”
from the March/April issue of Current Affairs
“If you put an interchange near an area where you’ve used tax dollars to restore the land, it makes absolutely no sense. You’re spending tax dollars to build an interchange to ruin what tax dollars helped to fix.”
-Marianne Gengenbach,
former Bureau Chief of the Florida DEP as quoted in Florida Phoenix article “New Interchange hurts Creek but benefits Governor DeSantis’ buddy.”