Sent today (as PDF) before this afternoon’s 4:30 PM Union County BOCC meeting at Union County High School.

September 18, 2017

To: James Tallman, Chairman
Union County Board of County Commissioners
15 NE 1st Street, Lake Butler, FL 32054
(386) 496-4241
ucbocc@windstream.net

Cc: Scott R. Koons, Executive Director
North Central Florida Regional Planning Council
2009 NW 67th Pl, Gainesville, FL 32653
(352) 955-2200
koons@ncfrpc.org

Re: Aerial photographs of Phosphate Mine site

Dear Chairman Tallman, Commissioners, Staff, Director Koons, and NCFRPC,

Sometimes it helps to see the problem from a different point of view, so on September 1st Suwannee Riverkeeper organized an overflight of the proposed HPS II mine site. Here are a few aerials from that flight. I hope they help encourage you to rezone to prevent mining in Union County, regardless whether from the current proposals or from others.

In addition to the few examples below, a few hundred more pictures are online here:

http://www.l-a-k-e.org/issues/phosphate/2017-09-01–southwings-phosphate/

The Howard mine site at the corner of CR 231 and the New River includes Five Mile Creek and other wetlands. Between there and the Pritchett mine site many people own land that could be affected. Just beyond is Worthington Springs, downhill and thus downstream from the mine.

W across Howard mine site, Five Mile Creek, SW 48th Path, CR 18A, Pritchett mine site, Worthington Springs, 09:53:54, 29.9461300, -82.3565700

From the air, Union county looks very green and wet; probably even more so after the recent floods. Mining anywhere in Union County is likely to affect lands and waters outside the mine site that the miners do not own.

Farther east, the Beasley mine site drains into the New River, which the mine proponents do not own.

SW down New River to Beasley mine site in upper right, 10:03:25, 29.9813090, -82.2832920

People live on CR 231 at the New River, sandwiched between the New River Properties mine site upriver and the Howard mine site right across the road.

E down SE 54th St, CR 231 New River bridge, Howard mine site on right, 09:54:45, 29.9537460, -82.3515830

Worthington Springs is downhill from the Pritchett mine site, and downriver from all the mine sites.

NNE Across Worthington Springs to Pritchett mine site, 10:25:40, 29.9189039, -82.4310161

Union County resident Carol Burton helped guide this flight, with Jim Tatum of Our Santa Fe River taking pictures, Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman as navigator and photographer, and Roy Zimmer as expert pilot from Southwings. Thanks to Dr. Steve Pieczenik for a generous contribution to WWALS. Thanks as always to Southwings and Amanda Wheelock for making these flights possible.

Please choose wisely and make your moratorium on phosphate mining permanent by changing your comprehensive plan and land development regulations to make mining impractical in Union County, thereby protecting the waters of Union County for its citizens and others downstream.

Sincerely,
John S. Quarterman, Suwannee Riverkeeper
President, WWALS Watershed Coalition
PO Box 88, Hahira, GA 31632
850-290-2350
wwalswatershed@gmail.com

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Short Link: