The issue of White Construction and the proposed limerock mine adjacent to Manatee State Park goes to the County Commissioners for the crucial vote March 2 (2004) at 6:30. This is it folks, our chance to stop this and we need human bodies there!!!! If you can't be there please once again send a fax, it was so impressive seeing a stack of faxes up to the planning board to be entered into the public record. The Planning board in the face of a packed audience voted to recommend a denial for the permit to mine, but it is up to the Commissioners this Tuesday to decide. Thank you for whatever help you can give to protect the power and beauty of this primordial spring!! Detailed info at bottom of email.
We have been able to stop this limerock mine with all of your help and support. We need you again and hopefully for the final time!!! Fax 352-486-5167 or call 352-486-5218 by this Tuesday. Thank you so much!

blessings and kindest regards, Layne


A short history: In July of 2001 White Construction put in an application to mine limerock from a 160 acre site on their land a distance of 2.8 miles from the headpool at Manatee Springs. In August of 2001 White Construction pulled their application with the planning and zoning commission. In 2002 the planning and zoning board of Levy County made recommendations to amend the mining ordinance for the county. After a series of 4 meetings the amended ordinance was sent onto the County Commission. After 2 meetings the county commission approved the new ordinance. The new ordinance does not allow major mining within 2 miles of the park boundaries of Manatee and Fanning Springs State Parks.

In January of 2004 White Construction again put in an application to mine limerock from the same 160-acre site. The planning and zoning board heard the request for the special exception Feb. 2, 2004 and recommended denial. This recommendation was sent onto the county commission, which will have a hearing on March 2.

What some people do not know is that White Construction has a history of environmental violations at 2 of their other mines. One in Newberry and one in Chiefland. A deferred prosecution in 1995 listed the following violations: Willful Pollution, Storage, Processing or Disposal of Solid Waste Without a Permit, Accumulation of Junk, Dispose, Treat or Store Biomedical Waste, Dumping Hazardous Waste, and Commercial Dumping. A partial list of the items dumped included asphalt, tires, automotive parts, oil containers, oil filters, batteries, roadside debris, demolition debris and buried drums containing oily fluids.

In 1985 a court found White Construction responsible for high nitrate pollution in residential wells on the west and south sides of their property. The source was determined to be the huge cattle feedlot that was in operation at that time. Several of the wells were polluted with nitrates far exceeding the safe drinking water standard of 10 mg/l. The feedlot shut down shortly thereafter but the land is still used as an intense agricultural operation. In water samples gathered by cave divers in 2001, water samples in the blue water tunnel indicated nitrate levels of 4.5 mg/l nitrate, more than 3 times the amount measured anywhere else in the cave. The blue water tunnel is 2750ft upstream of Friedman Sink and heads off from the main tunnel in a north east direction. The tunnel trends in the direction of the proposed mine.

To the east of the cave system is an unlined county landfill. It was in operation from the mid 60's to the mid 80's. It is said to contain household and agricultural waste. The distance is about 2850ft to the closet part of the known cave. One of our fears is that blasting might release a plume of pollution from this landfill that would head straight for the cave.

Now the real scary part. At the last hearing before the county commission in 2002 Whites representative (slipped up I believe) said that "our original permit application is for 160 acres, we plan to mine the rest as we see the need for rock." The rest I take to mean the other 3000 plus acres they own. If this were to happen then the mine would move to less than 3800 ft. from the blue water tunnel and 1 1/4 mile from the headspring. The effects of blasting (ground shaking) radiate out to 2 miles. I'm not sure I would like to be under the roof of the cave anywhere when they decide to set off a blast in that mine and I don't think any of you would either. We are trying to keep them from getting their foot in the door.

The final hearing regarding this special exception is Tuesday March 2 @ 6.30pm at the Bronson High School Auditorium. If any of you can make it, please come. A large room full of people opposed to this special exception goes a long way to help stopping it. This is the only item on the agenda for the county commission that night.
 

Limerock Mine Next to Manatee Springs Back on the Table This Monday (AGAIN!!!)

Hi everyone,

Two years ago in the face of a massive protest from local residents, Levy county residents, Florida residents and people from all across the country (that includes a lot of you on this email list!!! A neighbor went to the planning office this week and copied all of your letters, it was wonderful to see how many of you had faxed the planning commission), White Construction Company was forced to withdraw their petition for a zoning variance at the Levy County Board of Zoning Office. And the Levy County Commissioners passed new mining regulations that protect both Manatee Springs State Park and Fanning Springs State Park. Yet White Constuction is once again back at the Levy County Planning Commission looking for an exemption for the "Manatee Pit" limerock mine next to Manatee Springs State Park.

WE STOPPED IT BEFORE, WE CAN DO IT AGAIN. But we need your help right away.

WE NEED BODIES AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
THIS MONDAY, FEB. 2, at 6:30pm in the Court Room, Bronson, Florida,
OR FAXES TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION: 352-486-5246.

The faxes worked last time, please take a moment and do this. I know most of you are overwhelmed with everything right now but if you can show up or fax, that would be so important. Please forward this email to anyone who you think would help.

I know that you know that a limerock mine adjacent to a state park is a bad idea. Here are some reasons you can include:

White Construction Company has repeatedly been convicted of violating laws regarding the environmental protection of the State of Florida and is currently under grand jury indictment on state charges of racketeering and grand theft. My own personal well was contaminated by Luther White's dairy farm which is the proposed site for the limerock mine. My water is unsafe to drink. When you mine for limerock the pit rapidly fills in with water. In one of his limerock mines in Newberry White used the pit to dumb toxic waste contaminating the city of Newberry's drinking water supply.

The State of Florida is actively helping to finance Levy County as a Pure Water Wilderness area and the heart of Florida's Nature Coast:

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

We are completely in favor of developing the clean industry of eco-tourism in Levy County. Placing a limerock mine next to Manatee State Park is completely detrimental to this plan of development, the health of the residents and the health of our economy. Please help us to prevent this from happening.

CR 320, which would be the main traffic route for 50 round trips per day of limerock trucks is the only road in and out of Manatee State Park and it dead ends at the park.

The last paved road to the right before you reach Manatee State Park is NW 110th Ave which is the road to the Public Boat Landing on the Suwannee River.

Chiefland Golf and Country Club, the only golf club in Levy County, is located on CR 320 a short distance before you reach the state park.

There are numerous residential communities clustering back on both the north and south sides of CR 320.

CR 320 therefore is the only corridor for all the traffic in and out of these residential areas including the school buses, all recreational vehicular traffic to the state park (including rvs and campers), all traffic going to the boat landing with vehicles towing boats and/or jet skis and all traffic to the golf course. In the last year there have been two fatalities on CR 320. Many of the residents of this area are retirees -- in one fatality both drivers were over eighty years of age. Any increase in traffic will increase problems but adding heavy limerock trucks and the other vehicular traffic in and out of an industrial mining site would certainly add to the fatality rates. Plus all traffic from CR 320 feeds directly onto Highway 19 the only major corridor in or out of Chiefland.

In addition to the many other reasons not to permit an industrial mine next to Manatee State Park in an area zoned rural residential and agricultural -- we maintain that this is clearly a major recreational area. We believe that this is the worst possible site for a limerock mine in Levy County.

MOST IMPORTANTLY -- whether you are a resident of Levy County or not, Florida State Parks belong to us all!!! This exquisite spring must be protected.
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See 2001 warnings on this issue