Phosphate miners must wait on new dig

Mosaic Fertilizer canadd land to its current site but can't mine it until it gets permits.

By JESSICA VANDER VELDE, Times Staff Writer
Published March 12, 2008

Vivian Bacca said Mosaic Fertilizer's mines sap precious groundwater.

Norma Killebrew said dust from the mines filters onto her property.

Dan Hardy said the noisy operations 500 feet behind his home affect his life.

But the county said their objections would have to wait.

Commissioners voted 6-1 on Tuesday to approve Mosaic Fertilizer's request to increase the size of its phosphate operation in southeast Hillsborough County by about 1,500 acres. But the company can't dig in yet.

The vote allows Mosaic to apply for permission to mine that added land. That's when the county will consider nearby residents' fears and complaints, several commissioners said.

Commissioner Rose Ferlita voted against the motion to add the land to Mosaic's holdings at its Four Corners and Fort Lonesome mine because she's worried about the mine's potential impact on the environment.

"I'm still not comfortable yet from the environmental side," she said. "I feel better not supporting it now."

Commissioner Mark Sharpe said that because the addition of the 1,500 acres doesn't mean Mosaic can start mining yet, residents' complaints about dust, noise, light and water quality will be addressed as Mosaic applies for permits to mine the land.

Mosaic will apply to mine the just-added parcel near Hurrah Creek in about four to five months, said Dee Allen, Mosaic's superintendent of permitting and reclamation. That 80-acre piece of land is a concern to Tampa Bay Water and nearby residents because the creek leads to the Alafia River, a regional drinking water source.

Tampa Bay Water had asked for additional testing for heavy metals, such as lead, arsenic and aluminum, but the county did not require any more testing.

While commissioners are willing to wait until the mining permit applications arrive, some residents want answers quickly. About a dozen opponents attended Tuesday's meeting, wearing stickers that read: Say No! to mine expansion DRI263.

Tropical fish farmer Kim Skidmore is worried that future mining could lower the water tables near her Wimauma farm, sapping the water from her ponds and killing her fish.

Mosaic says that's not a problem because she would be a half a mile away from their mines, but they plan to have a hydrologist analyze her land.

Commissioners wantMosaic to take it a step further. Commissioner Jim Norman asked Mosaic's officials to set up a process for compensating Skidmore quickly for any losses should her farm be hurt by mining.

"I don't want a six-month argument," Norman said. "I want some quick resolution."

Skidmore was pleased with Norman's request, but other residents said Tuesday's meeting followed the same pattern: Mosaic officials get what they want.

"They're good at it," Killebrew said. '"It's a slick presentation."

Jessica Vander Velde can be reached at jvandervelde@sptimes.com or 813 661-2443.

[Last modified March 12, 2008, 02:07:05]