Four large Florida landowners are looking at combining their acreage for a new phosphate rock mine in two small counties – Union and Bradford, in northeast Florida. According to the Union Times, the acreage consists of 7,400 acres: 3,600 in southeastern Union County, and 3,300 in southwestern Bradford County.
While landowners, known as HHPS Enterprises LLC (HHPS) for the Hazen, Howard, Pritchett, and Shadd families, have met with local commissioners individually, they have not filed for permits. An opposition group, the Coalition Against Phosphate Mining in Union and Bradford Counties, has already developed, and has been very vocal at county commission meetings held in both counties in mid-February.
The Union Commission has already asked its attorney to draft a moratorium of a yet-to-be determined length on accepting permit applications for a mine. According to The Gainesville Sun, land in Union County has an agricultural land-use designation that covers most of the county, but allows mining with a special-use permit.
Residents are reportedly asking commissioners to restrict where mining can occur, with opponents fearing run-off will go into the New River, which divides the counties and the property. HHPS has already had a pre-application conference with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection but has not yet filed for a permit, according to The Gainesville Sun.
HHPS has been relatively quiet about its plans, referring questions to Amanda Wettstein, their spokesperson. Wettstein told Green Markets that HHPS would have a press release and a website soon. She said it was a phosphate rock mine only, with the ore to be taken off property by rail once per day using a High Solids Ore Transportation System. Further details as to capacity, quality, and destination for the ore were not available. Wettstein told the local press that HHPS hopes to hold town-hall style meetings in late March and proceed in a transparent process. HHPS is reportedly eyeing a 2017 start for construction, with mining to begin in 2018.