The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has issued an Intent to Issue a permit for The Mosaic Co. to develop and reclaim a new 4,200 acre mine, Ona, in Central Florida, the company announced Aug. 1. Approval of the permit took more than six years. However, Mosaic cannot proceed until after opposing parties have had a chance to file a protest. The deadline for protest ends Aug. 30, and some of the opponents were considering that move. After that, the company will have to obtain local and regional permitting as well.
The Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners will meet in a closed-door session with its outside law team on Aug. 22 to decide if it wants to continue its long and expensive battle against the southward march of phosphate mining, according to an Aug. 2 article in the Tampa Tribune.
A total of more than $12 million has been spent by opponents – mostly by Charlotte, but also including the Peace River-Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority and Lee and Sarasota counties. Opponents fear the mining would degrade water quantity and quality in the Peace River, which feeds the Charlotte County estuary and is a source of potable water for the area.
The Ona property is about 20,000 acres, and the approval of the 4,200 acre parcel was only the first phase of the project. Approval of future phases will be sought at an unspecified point in the future. After all approvals are obtained, the project was expected to begin sometime in 2010.
In their battle against the permit, opponents were successful in reducing the potential environmental damage by reducing the amount of wetlands that will be destroyed to 212 acres and the number of streams to nine. In all, 375 acres of wetlands will be preserved, along with 13 streams.
“We have demonstrated our commitment to responsible stewardship of Florida’s environment and protection of local water resources, and we trust that this order will not be subject to further appeal,” said Mosaic Senior Vice President Steven Pinney.
FDEP Secretary Colleen Castille said the project “set a new level of expectation” for the phosphate industry.
One of the attorneys for Charlotte County indicated they had grounds to appeal, because the Division of Administrative Hearings judge who handled the permit did not recommend approval.
In recent months, Charlotte County and Mosaic have reached an agreement on other phosphate mining permits, and may be reluctant to continue the battle.