Update 2023-05-08:
Fixed some images.
Five Years Later:
Hamilton County Planning Commission wants conditions on Nutrien phosphate mine permit renewal 2023-03-28.
See also:
PCS Phosphate Mine dragline access permit application SAJ-1984-04652 2019-10-15.
Thanks to
Jim Tatum of OSFR for spotting this op-ed in the
Lake City Reporter yesterday
by WWALS member and Practicing Geologist Dennis J. Price of Hamilton County, Florida about
Nutrien (PCS) mining phosphate and water in Hamilton County and
likely planning to expand to Columbia County.
Photo by John S. Quarterman of Dennis J. Price
at the Dead River of the Alapaha River, 2018-01-27.
To the Editor:
Much has been written in the last year about Sam Oosterhoudt’s
mitigation bank. I was involved in permitting the bank through the Army
Corps (ACOE) and The Florida Department of Environmental Regulation. It
took about 5 years to get all the permits. Now, 9 years after work began
on the project, the phosphate company (then PCS now Nutrien) petitioned
the state to shut down the mitigation bank.
I do not know for sure, but, Nutrien may tell you that during the
recent sale of PCS and the review of mineral interests owned, they
discovered that the mitigation bank had snuck in there and set up shop
over their minerals. This probably has some truth to it but I think
there is a much more involved reason.
In Hamilton County, Nurtrien/PCS is planning to run out of phosphate
to mine in about 10 years, give or take a few years either way. I do not
believe they are planning on shutting the doors and leaving. Occidental
Chemical Company started mining in Hamilton County Continue reading →