Subscribe Sun Ad. A 60-day moratorium was placed on the issuance of septic tank permits for the Cedar Key Plantation subdivision as officials scramble to protect nearby underwater clam farms from the threat of pollution. Growers and local officials are concerned that pollution from septic systems in the subdivision would move through nearby tidal creeks and into the clamming areas.
Clams are filter feeders that take in any pollutants from the water.
The subdivision was platted about 20 years ago, but the lots were not offered for sale until two weeks ago. Asking the County Commission for a septic tank moratorium was part of a multipronged approach that clam growers and Cedar Key officials decided to take during a Town Hall meeting a week ago. Other avenues being pursued include lobbying state officials to reconsider buying the land and investigating the possibility of a lawsuit to stop development in the subdivision. During the moratorium, County Commission Chairman Sammy Yearty will meet with state and local officials to try to come up with a creative solution to the pollution threat. Among those who will be asked to help find a solution are the Department of Environmental Protection, the Suwannee River Water Management District and Cedar Key city officials.