Yesterday, the Palm Beach County Commissioners unanimously approved a major rock mining project in western Palm Beach County, just south of Lake Okeechobee. Despite notable opposition during the meeting, the proposal passed with a 6-0 vote. The project has sparked intense debate, with environmentalists gathering at the county government center before the discussion began around 2:30 p.m. A woman leading one rally was recorded by CBS12 as saying, "We have to and we will keep fighting!"
Gil Smart, Executive Director of VoteWater, shared with CBS12, "We think it's a terrible idea. We think it's a risky idea." He expressed concerns over the lack of thorough reviews from key agencies, "This project hasn't been thoroughly vetted. It hasn't been thoroughly vetted by the South Florida Water Management District. It hasn't been vetted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers." However, supporters such as Tammy Jackson-Moore, a long-time resident of Belle Glade, view the project as an opportunity to bring much-needed jobs and economic benefits to the community. She told CBS12, "I think this is an opportunity to bring some much-needed jobs to our community and it will increase the economies in our community so we're excited about the jobs that people from our community have the potential to occupy."
Adding to the complexity of the situation, the rock mining project is adjacent to the Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir that is currently under construction, sparking fear among environmentalists that the project could hamper restoration efforts and harm the nearby ecosystem. According to CBS12, Cara Capp, Senior Everglades Program Manager, National Parks Conservation Association, stated, "The county is fast-tracking a really dangerous proposal. We haven't had any scientists look at it. So we don't know what the impacts will be."
The divide between opponents and supporters was on full display at the commission meeting, with some residents waering green shirts in favor of the mining operation, while critics held up signs reading "Stop the Southland Rock Mine." As per TCPalm, critics worry that mining could detrimentally affect the EAA reservoir, with Friends of the Everglades Executive Director Eve Samples cautioning that "These STAs are very highly used and already struggling to meet standards. It (the Southland project) can't rely on existing, already overused STAs."
The project still awaits the approval from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and is set to be discussed once more at the South Florida Water Management District's hearing slated for May 29 in Belle Glade. This next step comes shortly after the Palm Beach County Commission's approval and nearly two months following the Zoning Commission's go-ahead in a 5-3 vote, as reported by TCPalm.
Matt Eidson, Vice-President of Phillips and Jordan—an infrastructure contractor involved with the project—told CBS12, "We got the letter from FDEP of no apparent concern for this project."
