Top
thank you
The springs in Levy, County, Florida, are
now protected by the new mining regulations that the County Commissioners
passed tonight by a vote of 4 - 1. The one vote against the mining
regulations was by Commissioner Foley who worked for White Construction
Company for many years. A spokesman for White Construction promised that
if the mining regulations were passed they would sue the county. The
county attorney advised the commissioners the regulations were defensible.
We may be facing a lawsuit but as of now the SPRINGS OF LEVY COUNTY are
protected.
We are so thankful for all the support, the phone calls, emails and faxes
and financial contributions. It made all the difference and those of you
who showed up helped the commissioners do the right thing. This proved to
me that community action can work.
Thanks again and please come visit Manatee State Park!! 9/18/02
______________________________
COME TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Meeting, TUES. September 17, 2002 at 6:30 pm
at the Levy County Courthouse, Bronson
This is our chance to protect all the springs in Levy, County, Florida.
And stop White Construction Company's proposed, "Manatee Pit"
LIMEROCK MINE
Visible from Clay Landing Rd and Manatee Springs Rd (CR 320) Bordering
Manatee State Park
The Levy County Commission has developed new mining regulations that will
protect both Manatee Springs State Park and Fanning Springs State Park. If
the new regulations are passed there will not be a Manatee Pit!
Please attend the meeting and lend the support of your witnessing presence
so these new regulations will be adopted.
Citizen Support and Attendance is Essential!
Mining interests will oppose these changes and will be there in full
force. The mining and construction companies pay their workers to come to
the County Commissioner's meetings and harass citizens who are supporting
zoning regulations when they are on the agenda to speak. I have attended
some of the county commissioner's meetings when there were issues strongly
supported by citizens who had turned out to attend the proceedings. The
County Commissioner's votes are influenced by strong turnouts.
White Construction's Limerock Industries is STILL working to get their
D.E.P. Permit for Manatee Pit at the state level but these regulations --
if passed-- will stop the mine. If they receive their permit and the
county does not pass the regulations then they will be able to place a
limerock mine on property 26 feet from the boundary of Manatee State Park.
Even if you are coming to the meeting or especially if you cannot, please
call or write or best of all fax letters to the County
Commissioners telling them you support the new zoning proposals:
Levy County Commissioners, 352-486-5218, Levy County Courthouse, PO Box
310, Bronson, Florida 32621.
County Commissioners: Tony Parker, Don Foley, Sammy Yearty, Lilly Rooks,
Danny Stevens
FAX YOUR LETTER TO THE COMMISSIONERS AT 352-486-5167
Call, fax or email Governor Jeb Bush, The Capitol, Tallahassee, FL
32399-0001, 850/488-4441, Fax: 850/487-0801, Email: fl_governor@myflorida.com
Tell him that there is no good reason to put a limerock mine next to a
Florida State Park or a residential neighborhood. Tell him that this is an
election issue!!
Several of us were able to meet with Gov. Bush and he will know exactly
what you are emailing him about. His office let us know that he wants our
support in the election. I feel that before the election, is the
only time, those of us who are concerned about responsible and healthy
growth in Florida, will have any influence on the Governor.
Tell him you want a, "Bad Actor," law on the books that will
keep companies who are repeatedly convicted of serious environmental
crimes, from being permitted by the D.E.P. Tell him you want a Special
Springs Protection Act that would set safe boundaries around Florida's
irreplaceably beautiful springs. A law like this would prevent White
Construction Company from ever getting another permit, they have
repeatedly ignored environmental and other legal regulations and have been
repeatedly convicted of environmental violations. The owners are facing a
grand jury indictment at this time on charges of grand larceny and
racketeering charges.
Tell him that protecting a spring in Levy County benefits Floridians as a
whole economically. See below for financial facts and figures on the
impact of Manatee Springs on Florida's economy. This is an election year
issue, let him know that!!!
We have been told by political activists that faxing is the most effective
way to reach your representatives.
The D.E.P. financial facts on THE SPRING AT MANATEE STATE PARK
Information derived from the Florida State Park System Economic Impact
Assessment
The most prominent natural feature in the 2,075-acre park is Manatee
Spring itself. A first-magnitude spring, it produces 81,280 gallons of
crystal-clear water every minute or approximately 117 million gallons
daily. Water from the spring run flows into the Suwannee River and then
meets the Gulf of Mexico 23 miles downstream. A boardwalk next to the
spring run offers a view of the river swamp which is alive with cypress,
gum, ash and maple trees. The boardwalk ends at a pavilion and a floating
boat dock out on the scenic Suwannee River.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Based on Fiscal Year 1999-2000 data the Florida State Park system had an
overall direct economic impact of nearly $464 million on local economies
throughout the state: direct economic impact is defined as the amount of
new dollars spent in the local economy by non-local park visitors and park
operations. Approximately $27.8 million was contributed to the general
revenue fund in the form of state sales taxes. In addition, over 14,000
jobs were generated as a result of the state parks operations.
The implication of this data is that for every 1,000 persons attending a
state park the total direct impact on the local community is over $25,200.
On average if a state park was closed for one year it would mean a loss of
about $3 million to the local economy. If the state park system increased
its annual attendance by 10 percent during the next fiscal year it would
impact the state's economy by an additional $41.8 million.
Visitors to Manatee State Park 1999 - 2000: 117,917
Visitor expenditures in local area: $3,697,877
Park Expenditures: $355,940
Increased State Sales Tax Revenue $243,229
Total Direct Economic Impact Of Visitors to Manatee State Park For One
Year: $4,053,817
------------------------------
I want to thank you personally for taking the time to read this. Every day
I receive email appeals asking me to take an action for a worthy cause and
often I can't do it. The time pressure of trying to make ends meet, keep
me from being a full time activist. However, when I can, I do take an
action. Any of you who can take the time to do this, believe me, it is a
worthwhile action. The groundwork has been laid by some untiring activists
in our neighborhood. They now need our support. The year long fight has
been grueling and many people initially active have fallen, justifiably!,
to the side of the road. We now need people to show up at this meeting.
Always call the courthouse the day of the meeting in case something has
changed, 352-486-5218. Any local people needing a ride, just email me, we
will get you to the courthouse and home. Anyone interested in making a day
of it at the Spring and then a meal at a local restaurant, try Barbecue
Bill's in Chiefland for barbecued meats and those of you who love local
fried catfish, try Campbell's in Bronson where the courthouse is. Anyone
needing directions to the spring, to the courthouse in Bronson, (there is
one main road thru town, only three stoplights, and the gas station can
tell you where the courthouse is) or to the restaurants, email me. Thank
you so much!!!!
... Layne, 9/11/02
Top
Lab says West
Palm drinking water safe
By Michael Van Sickler, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 28, 2001
WEST PALM BEACH -- City drinking water is safe despite trace amounts of
a blue-green algae toxin linked to cancer, microbiologists hired by the
city say.
The Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene found small amounts of the
toxin microcystin, which even in low amounts is believed to cause liver
cancer. But they found levels to be 20 times lower than levels recorded by
scientists for the St. Johns River Water Management District in a study
released last month.
"I think they had a bad sample," said Ken Rearden, the city's
director of public utilities. "Our water is very safe. People can
drink it without hesitation."
The city paid $1,500 for the tests after the water district's findings
were reported. District scientists tested for algae and its toxins at 15
of the 20 water treatment plants in the state that use surface water
instead of well water, which doesn't sprout algae.
Three of 13 samples taken last year of West Palm Beach water from Clear
Lake exceeded the World Health Organization's recommendation, according to
data gathered by the district for the Florida Harmful Algal Bloom Task
Force. One sample showed 2.4 parts per billion of microcystin, and two
more showed 1.4 parts per billion.
City drinking water runs through a treatment plant after it's pumped
out of Clear Lake.
But more recent samples by the Wisconsin State Laboratory, which worked
with the University of South Florida to study the city's water, found
levels well below the 1 part per billion standard endorsed by the WHO.
The highest amounts of microcystin found were on June 4, when a sample
of untreated water was found to have 0.13 parts per billion.
Rearden said the city will continue weekly tests for another month and
then switch to monthly tests. The city is not required to test for the
toxin. Only Oregon requires drinking water to meet WHO standards.
The difference between the results doesn't debunk the water district's
findings, said Andrew Chapman, a scientist for Cyano Lab, a Palatka firm
that conducted the tests last year.
"Every species of algae needs the right amount of light and the
right temperature," Chapman said. "And day to day, month to
month, all of those things change. So you will see dramatic changes. We're
pretty confident in our results."
michael_van_sickler@pbpost.com
posted by Katy bar the Door:
The major issue covered, while regional in
geography, is Floridian aquifer in scope. in addition, these commentaries
are reflective of the assault on Florida by the despoilers who
historically have treated Florida like a whore to use and throw away.
kbd
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
ADAM CUMMINGS: Comment
posted 05/24/01
What is the bottom line on the phosphate issue?
The subject is very complex with enough details that it can be
hard to find out what is important. I spent a long time researching the
issue before I discovered two basic points that helped me see the big
picture.
The phosphate industry boasts of its ability to reclaim the land it
mines. In other words, it can "clean up its mess." Phosphate
companies have even spent millions of dollars creating showplaces to which
they can take decision-makers such as me to prove what they can do.
However, these showplaces are merely a new paint job to hide the damage
that has been done underneath.
The ground in Florida looks sort of like a many-layered cake.
Each layer has different characteristics. Some layers are like sponges
that will hold a great deal of water and allow it to gradually seep out.
Some layers allow water to move through very quickly, while other layers
will not let water move through at all. These layers control how much
water arrives where during different times of the year. These layers are
the underground plumbing for the entire ecosystem.
Phosphate mining tears out the underground plumbing upon which
everything else depends. This damage can never be repaired. The layers
took millions of years to be put in place and there is no way to
reconstruct them. Reclamation pushes dirt around on top, but does not
repair the real damage underneath that threatens our water supply and the
entire Charlotte Harbor estuarine system.
Area to be mined is huge
The real deciding point for me on this issue was when I saw the
map of what is considered by the industry to be "economically
feasible" to mine. The area to be mined is everything the industry
can afford to acquire within the economically feasible area. This area
covers an oval stretching from north of Interstate 4 to the south, not far
from the Charlotte County line, west to near Tampa Bay and east almost to
U.S. 27. It covers approximately half of the Peace River watershed and the
headwaters of every major watershed from the southern half of Tampa Bay to
the northern half of Charlotte Harbor.
The boundary of this resource that is considered economically
feasible to mine will expand as technology improves and the price of
phosphate increases, in the same way that the areas for oil exploration
expands.
The bottom line is, if the phosphate industry is allowed to
expand unchecked in our state, our quality of life and our economy will
pay a terrible, permanent price.
We must get the regulatory agencies at the state and federal
levels to do their jobs and determine the real cumulative impacts of
phosphate mining. We must then use that knowledge to determine what is an
acceptable impact and draw a line in the sand, telling the industry where
the mining will stop.
Governments, organizations and individuals are joining the fight.
To join in, contact the Charlotte County Commission office at
743-1300 or log on at www.charlottecountyfl.com for a citizens information
packet and petition. You can also sign a petition at Sarasota County's Web
site:
http://www.co.sarasota.fl.us/
phosphate/default.asp.
You can also donate to the Charlotte County commissioners'
Phosphate Legal Defense Fund. Charlotte County government cannot win this
fight alone. We need everyone's help!
(Top)
Florida's phosphate industry traces its beginnings to an Army
Corps of Engineers captain, J. Francis LeBaron, who stumbled upon
phosphate pebbles while surveying the Peace River 120 years ago. The
digging started soon afterward, and it hasn't stopped.
Ironically, the Corps is now being asked to come back to the
Peace River to explore again -- this time, to study the damage caused by
the industry Capt. LeBaron accidentally launched.
The invitation to return has an urgent tone. The most
economically minable deposits of phosphate ore in the northern end of the
Peace River watershed are almost gone, and the industry wants to move
south to retrieve the last of Florida's readily available ore. Two firms,
IMC Phosphates and Farmland Hydro LP, hope to mine more than 60,000 acres
in Manatee, DeSoto and Hardee counties in the next few decades. Other
companies are expected to follow.
The proposed expansion alarms many Southwest Florida residents,
who fear the southward expansion of strip mining will further harm the
region's water supply, demolish sensitive habitats and damage the health
of Charlotte Harbor. In recent months, numerous public officials,
environmental groups and concerned citizens have asked the Corps to
intervene and conduct a regionwide study of the cumulative and secondary
impacts of mining in the Peace watershed.
So far, the Corps has resisted. It's focusing instead on
consultants' studies and its own site-specific reviews of each mine -- a
piecemeal approach the industry and the state Department of Environmental
Protection favor.
The site-specific studies, we believe, will not produce enough
information for regulators to accurately assess the cumulative impacts of
mining in the region. A broader review -- encompassing the entire
watershed, all types of land uses and their impacts on water -- should be
conducted before a single dragline is allowed to move into new mining
territory.
Why rely on old data?
The last big-picture study of phosphate mining was done in the late
1970s. President Ford ordered it after he met with Sarasota residents
upset about industry pollution.
The report, released in 1978 by the Environmental Protection
Agency, led to a series of regulatory changes. The process also seemed to
heighten the industry's awareness that it needed to do a better job
policing itself.
IMC officials point out that the '78 study included the land
they're seeking to mine. They say a new, comprehensive study isn't needed.
But relying largely on data more than 20 years old would be
foolish. For one thing, U.S. Geological Survey scientists have found
evidence in recent years that miners and other high-volume water users in
the Peace watershed have dried up springs, diverted water into sinkholes
and generally depleted the water table.
Failing to follow up on more recent research would be
irresponsible. The Peace, a regional source of drinking water, already
faces unprecedented stresses from a long drought and the ill-advised
overpermitting of water uses. Until the region can overcome these
problems, why add to the burden?
Missing the forest for the trees
IMC officials contend that a site-specific study, focusing on
individual mines, is superior to a regionwide, cumulative study. They
argue that the smaller studies are more detailed.
But such an approach, as an old surveyor like Capt. LeBaron might
point out, could lead everyone to miss the forest for the trees.
Miners should be required to address problems revealed in a
site-specific study, but those requirements are insufficient. A regionwide
study would address the impacts of all land uses -- including agricultural
and residential development -- on the environment. It would also show
whether site-specific reviews are failing to detect cumulative trends.
Just as important, it would look at the effects on land and waterways
miles away, such as Charlotte Harbor.
The logical choice to conduct a new study is the EPA because of
its experience and mission. But if the EPA can't or won't do the study, a
suitable substitute should be found -- quickly. Southwest Florida's
elected officials should press for a regionwide study by a qualified,
independent federal agency.
Until such a study is done, Florida should block new mines in the
Peace watershed, or in any other watershed currently used or identified as
a public supply of drinking water.
Far too much is at stake to give the industry permission to move
south now. A big-picture survey of the effects must be done first.
Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Strengthen the mining rules
posted 05/24/01
Manatee County commissioners couldn't have looked less
enthusiastic if someone had handed them picks and shovels and asked them
to help with the digging.
It was a late afternoon last December, and for the third time in
several weeks, the commission was deep in a technical discussion of strip
mining. IMC Phosphates wanted to expand its Four Corners Mine near Duette,
and the plan was drawing intense opposition around the region.
Any vote, for or against, was certain to kick up dust. IMC had
been working on the application for three years and expected approval. But
opponents were insisting on a study of the mine's effects on the Peace
River and Charlotte Harbor.
As the discussion wound down, the commission -- with visible
reluctance -- approved IMC's request 5-2. Opponents were tossed a bone;
the county asked Congress and Gov. Jeb Bush to push for an environmental
study.
"We all want to do the right thing," said Chairman Joe
McClash, voting with the majority. "I believe that's the intention
here."This, in other words, is the best we can do.
Blame it on the 'whereas'
Manatee's phosphate mining ordinance is one of the most restrictive in
Florida. But it begins with a clear indication that mining companies
rarely face obstacles they can't flatten: "Whereas the mining of
phosphate is a permitted land use ..."
The obstacles may become larger soon, though. For the first time
in 20 years, the commission is updating its mining ordinance.
Among other things, the revision would extend a ban on mining in
the Lake Manatee watershed or near any public reservoir. It also would bar
mining in streams that have a continuous flow, and generally prohibit the
diversion of streams.
In addition, the ordinance would require what Four Corners
opponents had wanted and still want --a study of the environmental impacts
on the region before any new mining activity is approved.
Those proposals warrant adoption. We also recommend a few more
changes, beginning with broader setbacks for mining near high- quality
streams such as Horse Creek. The creek is a major tributary of the Peace
River, a critical water supply for Charlotte, Sarasota, DeSoto and Manatee
counties.
Manatee's ordinance generally bars mining inside the 25-year
flood plain, but a larger area should be declared off-limits because:nA
state biological report identified Horse Creek as a waterway of
exceptional biological quality, warranting special protection as a
reference, or benchmark, stream. Despite those qualities, the state has
refused to designate the stream an Outstanding Florida Water, which would
protect its water quality.nThe banks of Horse Creek are steeper than the
average stream, so it's likely that an accident during a heavy storm would
propel contaminants more rapidly into the creek. The creek's channels are
narrow, too, which would make cleanup difficult.
The county also needs to put teeth into its Ecosystems Management
Plan. The existing ordinance makes exceptions to the 25-year flood plain
boundary if approved by commissioners as part of an ecosystem plan. But
they've never defined or adopted such a plan, making enforcement
impossible.
Other parts of the ordinance also need tightening. The rules, for
instance, don't require a xeric, or dry scrub, habitat, which is essential
for species such as the gopher turtle, indigo snake and scrub jay -- all
threatened or endangered and likely to be displaced by mining.
Preserving choices
Earlier this month, the Four Corners Mine was back on the agenda
for Manatee commissioners. This time, they were being asked to support
fellow members of a regional water authority in a lawsuit against the
expansion.
The vote to back the challenge was unanimous. Several
commissioners, trying to explain the apparent contradiction with their
December vote, said the existing ordinance left them with no choice but to
OK the expansion.
On June 5, commissioners will hold their first work session on
the ordinance. If they're serious about fixing its shortcomings, now is
the time to do so --before they face more mining proposals they feel
helpless to deny.
(Top)
Impacts on
water -Sarasota Herald-Tribune -
posted 05/21/01
Phosphate, as mining companies point out, is essential for the
cultivation of crops and the growth of livestock. The industry even has a
snappy slogan to serve as a reminder: "Phosphate feeds you."
Unfortunately, while mining companies are digging up one
life-sustaining substance, they're routinely threatening the supply of
another -- water.
For more than a century, the industry has polluted, diverted and
erased water in streams, rivers and wells.
These effects can no longer be justified by the economic benefits
of mining. Phosphate companies are running out of ore in Central Florida,
and they're eyeing new territory in Manatee, Hardee and DeSoto counties.
They want to move their draglines deeper into the watershed that drains
into the Peace River, a critical source of drinking water for Southwest
Florida's coastal communities.
The expansion plans are poorly timed. The region is in the midst
of a two-year drought, and water managers are struggling to meet demand.
Simply finding enough water to fight wildfires is a challenge.
Beyond the drought-related shortage, however, the industry's
plans raise other alarms. In recent years, the United States Geological
Survey has found evidence that mining has already reduced the flow of
ground water to the Peace, reversed spring flow, and generally depleted
the water table.
Before any new permits are approved, the industry's effects on
water supplies should be thoroughly addressed. Phosphate may feed us, but
it shouldn't be allowed to leave us with a thirst beyond our ability to
quench.
A prodigious thirst
Charlotte, Sarasota, DeSoto and Manatee counties share a
water-treatment plant on the Peace. The regional water authority has
mapped out a series of future expansions, and a pipeline to Sarasota is
under construction.
At this point, though, the authority has been unable to fill its
storage wells: Because of the drought, the authority has pumped water from
the river only nine of the last 260 days.
Strip mining certainly won't help. Although phosphate companies
have made commendable strides in lowering their water intake, they're
still prodigious users -- about 10,000 gallons to mine and process a
single ton of ore.
Officials at IMC Phosphates, one of the companies seeking to
expand in the Peace watershed, say they will require no new permits for
their mines. IMC now uses about 40 million gallons of ground water a day.
No water comes, or will come, directly from the Peace.
Farmland Hydro LP, the other company hoping to move south, has
discussed using about 7.2 million gallons a day from several sources,
including more than 5 million mgd from the Peace. Both companies say they
would recycle 95 percent or more of the water they use.
Even with the pledges to recycle, however, the mines will stress
water supplies.
A triple threat
Consumption isn't the only factor. The industry, as we've noted in
previous editorials, has a long history of polluting waterways. The huge,
towering mounds of phosphogypsum, a toxic byproduct of fertilizer
processing, are also at constant risk of leaking or collapsing; a sinkhole
formed in a mound in Polk County in 1994, pushing pollutants toward the
Floridan Aquifer, a limestone formation containing potable water.
USGS scientists also have documented significant, worrisome
changes wrought by mining and other high-volume users in the Peace River
watershed. For example:nMining has contributed to a dramatic decline in
ground water. Springs that once contributed water to the Peace have ceased
flowing and nearly 100 sinkholes have pocked the landscape, drawing even
more water away from the Peace River. These changes are part of long-term
trends documented through the mid-1990s – before the current drought.
The effects of disturbing the surficial and intermediate aquifers and
the creation of huge ponds for storing clays have deprived the river of
naturally flowing water.
Phosphate mining is certainly not the only stress on the region's
water supplies. Agriculture, development and other land uses make heavy
demands on capacity. But strip mining poses a triple threat --
contamination, voracious consumption, and the disruption of underground
systems that feed surface waters.
Southwest Florida is already struggling with a historic drought
and the ill-advised over-permitting of water use. At this juncture, it
defies common sense to allow mining companies -- no matter how vital the
ore they seek -- to encroach on the water resources that sustain our
communities and our environment.
(Top)
Polk County has had the "benefit" of more than 100
years of phosphate mining. Dubious economic statistics aside, mining has
significantly damaged our ecosystems.
The Peace and Alafia river systems are skeletal remains of the
native habitats they once were. Regulation, beginning in the 1970s, has
addressed some problems associated with mining, but protection of
remaining riverine and upland ecosystems and reclamation of degraded
natural systems remain a huge challenge.
The mining industry has demonstrated the ability to reclaim
patches of trees or wetlands, and pieces of streams, but the continued
failure to repair damaged natural systems has created an ill-conceived
landscape of fragmented, marginally functional pieces of habitat.
The Peace and Alafia rivers have suffered slime pond and
"gyp stack" dam breaks, which have obliterated marine life and
riverine vegetation on multiple occasions. Polk has hundreds of millions
of tons of phosphogypsum, or gyp stacks, including one that dumped tons of
gyp and acid water toward the Floridan Aquifer through a sinkhole.
Slime ponds (waste clay) cover approximately 40 percent of the
acres that have been mined. These permanent fixtures and alteration of our
landscape call into question the phosphate industry's claim that mining is
a "temporary" use of the land.
Satellite imagery clearly shows the gaps in the remaining natural
systems where mining has occurred. Ground-truthing confirms that the
landscape is very different from its original condition. The local
geologic and hydrologic structures that support complex native ecosystems
are permanently altered.
Homogenized soils spread for reclamation have a different
composition, porosity and compaction than before. Reclaimed soils are also
seldom at the original elevations, which disrupts the rejuvenation of
natural systems. The soils and clays of slime ponds are not evenly spread,
causing a wide variation in what is now top soil.
Government agencies require only a minimal amount of natural
systems reclamation. This results in the majority of mined lands being
reclaimed to low-grade pasture. The low-grade pastures inevitably become
the commercial and residential developments that preclude any
natural-systems remediation.
For example, IMC-Agrico recently sold its 16,700 acre Clear
Springs Mine in Polk County to a development company. Plans are in motion
for more than 8,000 acres of homes, industrial parks and golf courses.
Mining has also severely damaged, diverted and dammed thousands
of acres of Peace River headwaters. Plans to correct these problems have
been on hold for almost 10 years, even though we are in a water-use
caution area and the Peace River is now at historic low levels.
The lack of research on natural and reclaimed systems, including
ponds, streams, wetlands, wildlife populations and habitat fragmentation,
is dismaying.
To date, the limited research on upland resident land animals
clearly shows that mined lands do not support the creatures nearly as well
as unmined land. Research on resident upland bird species revealed that
birds show a much stronger tendency to avoid mined sites.
Even though industry demonstration projects can appear promising,
reclaimed habitats often receive no long-term protection. Additionally,
mined lands need long-term management to prevent them from becoming
monocultures of nuisance exotics like cogon grass and Brazilian pepper.
Tenoroc Fish Management Area in Polk County is a glaring example of this
problem, as are the gyp stacks and highways throughout the mined area.
Phosphate mining is a business. The mining company's perspective
has always dominated the permitting process. Mining companies are planning
decades ahead while our decision-makers are planning only to their next
election.
The miners have the time, money and professional staff to wine,
dine and tour all of the decision-makers. This fact, combined with weak
regulations and enforcement by the Florida Department of Environmental
Protection, Bureau of Mine Reclamation, has led us to where we are today.
Sadly, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the only
constitutionally empowered wildlife and habitat authority, has never had
decision-making authority in mining permits or reclamation plans.
Secondary and cumulative impacts aside, phosphate mining will
continue to degrade our land, water and future economy until the public
and decision-makers insist that mining and reclamation plans make good
ecological sense and that critical habitats and water resources are
permanently protected.
Marian and John Ryan, who live in Winter Haven, are members of
the Polk County Sierra Group.
(Top)
Comment Robert Kinsey - Sarasota Herald-Tribune -
posted 05/23/01
IMC Phosphates' proposed mining project, which replaces
previously mined and reclaimed acreage, has triggered a call for a second
area-wide Environmental Impact Study (EIS) to determine any environmental
impacts phosphate mining may have on Southwest Florida. The first
area-wide EIS was conducted in 1978 and its results are still relevant
today. Some speculate that IMC opposes an area-wide study because it might
reveal problems that would lead to the cessation of mining in Southwest
Florida. The truth, however, is that we at IMC are convinced that the
site-specific EIS recently ordered by the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE)
will provide better detail, more complete information and thus afford
greater environmental protection.
Here's why.
An area-wide EIS can be compared to a 30,000-foot satellite view
of an area. It is a broad-brush look. True, it assesses the area-wide and
cumulative effects of an industry, but the site-specific EIS looks at
these same cumulative effects.
Simply put, the area-wide EIS does not provide the level of
detail necessary to develop and impose permit requirements on an industry
as does a site-specific EIS.
In 1978 a Phosphate Area-Wide EIS prepared by the Environmental
Protection Agency looked at 17 potential new mines in Polk, Hillsborough,
Manatee, Hardee and DeSoto counties -- a total of 1.2 million acres in
five watersheds. The study predicted that environmental impacts would
occur, and the EPA, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
and the Army Corps of Engineers responded with new area-wide regulations.
With the imposition of these requirements on all phosphate-mining
operations, the EPA concluded that development of new mines would not
result in unacceptable impacts. Over time, the Florida Legislature, the
DEP, the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the individual
counties have continued to develop laws and regulations. The phosphate
industry also responded by developing and utilizing new technologies to
comply with new laws and regulations to minimize impacts.
In contrast, a site-specific EIS provides a much-improved,
focused view than the area-wide EIS. This results in more detailed
information about all aspects of the project, including vegetation,
wildlife, wetlands, water use and quality, transportation, etc. In a
site-specific EIS, on-site monitoring data is used to determine actual
"real data" impacts of hydrology, habitat and land use.
Site-specific modeling of water levels, flows and quality are used to
predict and minimize impacts. Seasonal survey results are used to catalog
wildlife using the site to make provisions for habitat protection in
wetlands and uplands. Cumulative impacts of all past, current and probable
future mining activities -- by our company and all others -- are also
mandated by the site-specific EIS to look for potential effects and to
help propose mitigative measures, where needed. These are just a few
examples of the level of detail provided by a site-specific EIS.
On the other hand, an area-wide EIS summarizes results of
previously published studies and research to date, and then performs
desktop and expert "focus group" analyses of possible impacts.
No on-site work is done.
Clearly, a site-specific EIS provides better, more accurate,
"real data" information.
Most importantly, a site-specific EIS develops specific approval
conditions appropriate for that one particular area. For example,
monitoring and mitigation may be required as part of the permit if certain
impacts occur. Or, the site-specific EIS can conclude that impacts are
unacceptable and that the proposal be denied. An area-wide EIS does not do
this. The three tracts of IMC land now under consideration for mining
permits (Ona, Pine Level and Manson-Jenkins) were all included in the 1978
area-wide EIS. All are also included in a cumulative impact study, either
the one required by the Corps of Engineers as part of the Ona EIS, or as
part of a cumulative impact analysis required by the Florida DEP.
In short, the public should not be concerned: that a thorough
review of each project and its cumulative impact is not being undertaken
-- because it is; that the phosphate industry has free rein to do what
ever it wants -- because it does not; and that the regional water supply
and flows to the Peace River will be allowed to be adversely impacted --
because, under the strict scrutiny of the permitting agencies, they will
not.
Finally, the more specific approach taken by a site-specific EIS
provides greater protection of the environment and is, therefore, in the
best interest of the public.
Robert Kinsey is director of operations support for IMC
Phosphates.
(Top)
Unhealthy business - Sarasota Herald Tribune -
posted 05/21/01
Florida's phosphate industry would prefer to never hear another
word about the noxious history of the Piney Point fertilizer-processing
plant near Palmetto.
For much of the past 35 years, the plant has been one of
Southwest Florida's worst polluters. Its abysmal record, compiled by a
succession of owners, began with dead fish, cattle and trees and steadily
got worse, affecting human health.
In 1989, a sulfuric acid spill forced the evacuation of hundreds
of residents, Port Manatee workers, ship crew members and county
prisoners. In 1991, three employees died in accidents at the plant, and in
an unrelated incident, the plant released a toxic cloud of sulfuric gases
that sickened more than a dozen residents.
The state Department of Environmental Protection now manages
Piney Point. The latest owner, Mulberry Corp., abruptly ceased operations
more than a year ago; DEP officials are working to prevent toxic waste
from contaminating nearby waterways or ground water.
To the chagrin of image-conscious phosphate companies, Piney
Point is a persistent reminder that the industry's threats to public
health -- some remote, some ever-present -- cannot be underestimated.
Combating radon gas
In the past 25 years, state regulators and the industry have made a
greater effort to investigate and reduce the health risks associated with
mining and processing phosphate. Much of the work has been sponsored by
the Bartow-based Florida Institute of Phosphate Research, established by
the state Legislature in 1978 and funded by phosphate taxes.
One of the institute's priorities is studying the public's
exposure to radon-222, a colorless, odorless gas naturally associated with
uranium found with phosphate ore.
Radon-222 can penetrate the unprotected floor or foundation of a
home built directly on radioactive soil. Epidemiological studies have
concluded that occupants of such buildings may face elevated risk of
contracting lung cancer. Building code standards now require measures to
reduce the risk of the exposure such as sealing floor slabs with special
materials and elevating buildings to improve ventilation.
Industry critics, however, remain skeptical of the ability to
predict long-term impacts. They wonder how well construction will be
monitored decades from now, when the last of the ore has been dug up and
the history of mining recedes from the public's memory.
Lingering questions
In some cases, it takes time for problems to emerge. The
Environmental Protection Agency, for example, is studying an old mine in
Polk County as a potential Superfund cleanup site. The 6,000-acre
property, given to the state by the Borden Chemical Co., is known as the
Tenoroc Fish Management Area and is used for fishing, hiking, picnicking,
horseback riding, shooting and small-game hunting.
The park contains 1,169 acres of former mining pits managed as
public fishing lakes. According to a consultant's draft report released
Jan. 8, ground water on the site contains radium-226 above levels that
trigger significant cancer risks.
In addition, testing conducted for the study showed two ponds and
four surface areas with elevated levels of radioactive isotopes of
bismuth, potassium, protactinium, lead, radium, radon, thorium, thallium
and uranium. Radium-226 also exceeds the public health cancer-risk
standards in those waters. Other areas revealed elevated levels of
arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, iron, magnesium, manganese,
nickel, vanadium and zinc.
The consultant warned staff members at the park's office not to drink
water from the office well.
Time for a check-up
Through the years, researchers have identified aspects of phosphate
mining and health risks that warrant further study. But often the work
isn't completed.
In 1985, a study by epidemiologist Dr. Gary H. Lyman, then with
the H. Lee Moffitt Hospital and Cancer Research Institute in Tampa, found
a significant association between leukemia and radium in ground water in
Florida counties where radium levels were elevated. But it concluded that
unknown factors, such as family histories and other sources of exposure,
had not been identified, and recommended more study to establish a
cause-and-effect relationship. During a recent telephone conversation,
Lyman estimated that those studies might require up to $3 million, and a
more supportive political climate than currently exists.
The last comprehensive study of the impacts of phosphate mining
was conducted in the late 1970s by the EPA. The Institute for Phosphate
Research has helped advance the state's understanding of some of the risks
associated with the industry, but in many cases, the need for additional
research has been identified but never funded.
The phosphate industry now wants to move southward into unmined
terrority. Its plans present new opportunities for environmental
regulators to take a fresh look at how well the industry is responding to
health risks.
No matter how vigilant the industry claims to be, two unhealthy
words offer a healthy dose of skepticism -- Piney Point.
(Top)
Strengthen the
mining rules - Sarasota Herald-Tribune posted
05/24/01
Manatee County commissioners couldn't have looked less
enthusiastic if someone had handed them picks and shovels and asked them
to help with the digging.
It was a late afternoon last December, and for the third time in
several weeks, the commission was deep in a technical discussion of strip
mining. IMC Phosphates wanted to expand its Four Corners Mine near Duette,
and the plan was drawing intense opposition around the region.
Any vote, for or against, was certain to kick up dust. IMC had
been working on the application for three years and expected approval. But
opponents were insisting on a study of the mine's effects on the Peace
River and Charlotte Harbor.
As the discussion wound down, the commission -- with visible
reluctance -- approved IMC's request 5-2. Opponents were tossed a bone;
the county asked Congress and Gov. Jeb Bush to push for an environmental
study.
"We all want to do the right thing," said Chairman Joe
McClash, voting with the majority. "I believe that's the intention
here."This, in other words, is the best we can do.
Blame it on the 'whereas'
Manatee's phosphate mining ordinance is one of the most restrictive in
Florida. But it begins with a clear indication that mining companies
rarely face obstacles they can't flatten: "Whereas the mining of
phosphate is a permitted land use ..."
The obstacles may become larger soon, though. For the first time
in 20 years, the commission is updating its mining ordinance.
Among other things, the revision would extend a ban on mining in
the Lake Manatee watershed or near any public reservoir. It also would bar
mining in streams that have a continuous flow, and generally prohibit the
diversion of streams.
In addition, the ordinance would require what Four Corners
opponents had wanted and still want --a study of the environmental impacts
on the region before any new mining activity is approved.
Those proposals warrant adoption. We also recommend a few more
changes, beginning with broader setbacks for mining near high- quality
streams such as Horse Creek. The creek is a major tributary of the Peace
River, a critical water supply for Charlotte, Sarasota, DeSoto and Manatee
counties.
Manatee's ordinance generally bars mining inside the 25-year
flood plain, but a larger area should be declared off-limits because:nA
state biological report identified Horse Creek as a waterway of
exceptional biological quality, warranting special protection as a
reference, or benchmark, stream. Despite those qualities, the state has
refused to designate the stream an Outstanding Florida Water, which would
protect its water quality.nThe banks of Horse Creek are steeper than the
average stream, so it's likely that an accident during a heavy storm would
propel contaminants more rapidly into the creek. The creek's channels are
narrow, too, which would make cleanup difficult.
The county also needs to put teeth into its Ecosystems Management
Plan. The existing ordinance makes exceptions to the 25-year flood plain
boundary if approved by commissioners as part of an ecosystem plan. But
they've never defined or adopted such a plan, making enforcement
impossible.
Other parts of the ordinance also need tightening. The rules, for
instance, don't require a xeric, or dry scrub, habitat, which is essential
for species such as the gopher turtle, indigo snake and scrub jay -- all
threatened or endangered and likely to be displaced by mining.
Preserving choices
Earlier this month, the Four Corners Mine was back on the agenda
for Manatee commissioners. This time, they were being asked to support
fellow members of a regional water authority in a lawsuit against the
expansion.
The vote to back the challenge was unanimous. Several
commissioners, trying to explain the apparent contradiction with their
December vote, said the existing ordinance left them with no choice but to
OK the expansion.
On June 5, commissioners will hold their first work session on
the ordinance. If they're serious about fixing its shortcomings, now is
the time to do so --before they face more mining proposals they feel
helpless to deny.
