This Monday, TV from the much bigger Alachua County to the south covered the water protectors at the Bradford County Commission meeting last Thursday.

Stewardship is a sacred responsibility, not a license to plunder!

Haley Wade, WCJB, 21 August 2017, Protestors Picket Phosphate Mine,

Protestors from as far as Sarasota came out to let county commissioners know the effects of the mine are not just contained to Bradford County….

Naturally she prominently featured Ken Cornell, Chairman of the County Commission of her county, Alachua County.

Almost everyone who shared their side noted protecting natural resources as the biggest concern.

Here’s WWALS video of what Pam Smith, president of OSFR, said inside.

“Cypress swamp” Hugh Crosby, 80 years old, and “screen door” Whitey Markle, Chair, Suwannee-St. Johns Sierra Club Group

“It’s almost 11,000 acres that straddles the New River, which is the headwaters to the Santa Fe and ouR beautiful springs,” said Protestor Becky Parker. “It could infect the whole community.”

Inside, Becky Parker wanted to know whether the Commissioners wanted their legacy to be destruction or standing up for the people.

Commissioners voted unanimously to accept help from an outside consultant who will break down more information about the proposed mine for the commission at future meetings.

Here is the WCJB video report:

Here is WWALS video of what everybody said inside.

Well, except the HPS II mine proponents: they didn’t speak.

WCJB may have gotten that picture of the mine proponents from some other meeting; nobody I talked to saw them at last Thursday’s Bradford BOCC meeting.

“Come fly over the Mosaic mine” Jim Tatum‘s buttons

Next: the good news from Union County. Here’s what I sent Union BOCC before their meeting Monday: phosphate mines are complicated, but their choice is not.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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