{"id":119638,"date":"2025-08-30T00:32:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-30T00:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/119638\/"},"modified":"2025-08-30T00:32:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T00:32:15","slug":"environmental-groups-seek-legal-action-to-stop-rock-mine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/119638\/","title":{"rendered":"Environmental groups seek legal action to stop rock mine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Environmental groups are taking legal action in an attempt to halt the progression of a Palm Beach County rock mining project in the Everglades Agricultural Area, south of Lake Okeechobee.<\/p>\n

The rock mine, dubbed the Southland Water Resource Project, proposes extracting limestone and eventually functioning as water storage on an 8,000-acre site adjacent to the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir, which is under construction.<\/p>\n

The site is currently farmland owned by the U.S. Sugar Corp. and Okeelanta Corp.<\/p>\n

The Everglades Law Center, a nonprofit whose goals include defending the state\u2019s ecosystems, fears the project could harm the environment.<\/p>\n

The center filed a petition for a formal administrative hearing earlier in August on behalf of the Tropical Audubon Society, another nonprofit. This is the most recent action of opposition after the proposal drew lengthy public discussion earlier this year when Palm Beach County officials granted initial approval.<\/p>\n

The groups\u2019 goal is to stop the Florida Department of Environmental Protection from issuing a permit allowing the project to move forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a massive excavation directly adjacent to multibillion-dollar Everglades restoration infrastructure,\u201d said Lisa Interlandi, the Everglades Law Center\u2019s policy director.\u00a0Interlandi is one of several attorneys representing the Tropical Audubon Society.<\/p>\n

\"Land<\/p>\n

Land that is planned for the Southland Water Resource project in the Everglades south of Lake Okeechobee is shown from the air on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett \/ South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

An anhinga suns itself on a rock on land that is planned for the Southland Water Resource project in the Everglades south of Lake Okeechobee on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett \/ South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Land<\/p>\n

Land that is planned for the Southland Water Resource project in the Everglades south of Lake Okeechobee on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett \/ South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Land<\/p>\n

Land that is planned for the Southland Water Resource project in the Everglades south of Lake Okeechobee is shown from the air on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett \/ South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

Two great egrets walk on land that is planned for the Southland Water Resource project in the Everglades south of Lake Okeechobee on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett \/ South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Land<\/p>\n

Land that is planned for the Southland Water Resource project in the Everglades south of Lake Okeechobee is shown on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett \/ South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A raccoon scurries across land that is planned for the Southland Water Resource project in the Everglades south of Lake Okeechobee on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett \/ South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Land<\/p>\n

Land that is planned for the Southland Water Resource project in the Everglades south of Lake Okeechobee is shown on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett \/ South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 8<\/p>\n

Land that is planned for the Southland Water Resource project in the Everglades south of Lake Okeechobee is shown from the air on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett \/ South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a>
\nRaising concerns<\/p>\n

The Tropical Audubon Society has several concerns about the proposal, including \u201cphosphorous-rich farm runoff\u201d from mining activities mixing with water flowing to the Everglades, said Lauren Jonaitis, the society\u2019s senior conservation director.<\/p>\n

She said runoff could trigger algal blooms and damage wetlands, habitat and food sources for wildlife.<\/p>\n

Mining also could reduce water flow south and worsen water levels in \u201ckey Everglades areas,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The project\u2019s proximity \u2014 about 1,000 feet \u2014 to the EAA Reservoir, also drives worry about the impact of the rock mine. The EAA Reservoir is considered by many, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, to be the lynchpin of Everglades restoration efforts. Once complete, the 10,500-acre reservoir will be able to store 240,000 acre-feet of water.\u00a0That water will then be filtered and cleaned in stormwater treatment marshes before it flows into the Everglades.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the EAA Reservoir will reduce the need to send polluted Lake Okeechobee water to the coasts, where it damages estuaries and local economies.<\/p>\n

The Southland project would sit directly north of some of the stormwater treatment marshes.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re just digging into the ground, so you\u2019re disrupting habitat for species and potentially damaging the infrastructure that\u2019s already in place,\u201d Jonaitis said.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s definitely a risk that I don\u2019t think that we should be risking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AccordingAccording to documents from Phillips & Jordan, the Southland Water Resource Project’s location is illustrated in red above the A-2 Stormwater Treatment Facility and the A-2 Reservoir, which are part of the Everglades Agricultural Area.<\/p>\n

Attorneys representing the Tropical Audubon Society wrote in the petition that the rock mine project \u201cpresents a direct and substantial threat to the petitioners\u2019 environmental, recreational and aesthetic interests by undermining the performance of critical Everglades restoration infrastructure and diminishing water quality, quantity and distribution throughout the Greater Everglades ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Proposing changes for the site<\/p>\n

Phillips & Jordan, the Southland Water Resource Project\u2019s contractor, describes the project differently, emphasizing water storage. On a website about the project, Phillips & Jordan states the mine is \u201ca public-private partnership focused on creating water storage south of Lake Okeechobee to improve water quality and support Everglades restoration.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once the limestone is removed from the mine, it would be filled with water, and function as storage, said Phillips & Jordan.<\/p>\n

Phillips & Jordan also states the project will not impact the effectiveness of the nearby stormwater treatment areas. Instead, they said the mine, once filled with water, would enhance their performance by preventing \u201charmful dry-out events\u201d and ensuring consistent water flow.<\/p>\n

Phillips & Jordan has stated that though excavation is necessary, the limestone removed will \u201csupport Florida\u2019s infrastructure needs\u201d via road-building material, and the development would prioritize environmental goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a demonstrated need for additional water storage to maintain constant beneficial use of (Stormwater Treatment Area 5\/6), and the Southland Water Resource Project effectively increases storage capacity by up to 20,000 acre feet in under five years,\u201d Phillips & Jordan spokesperson Amanda Bevis wrote in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt project completion, this project will increase capacity for the region by up to 120,000 acre feet of water storage. Southland Water Resource Project is essential to the region meeting its overall water quantity and quality goals,\u201d Bevis wrote.<\/p>\n

The mine, and thus the full water storage capacity, would not be complete for another 20 years, according to Phillips & Jordan.<\/p>\n

A \u2018fairly normal first step\u2019<\/p>\n

In many cases, administrative remedies \u2014 such as the petition \u2014 must be taken before going to court, said Alex Erwin, an environmental law professor at the University of Florida. Erwin is not involved with the rock mine issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is, from what I know, a fairly normal first step to contesting the granting of a permit in the state,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The history of the Everglades includes \u201ccertain industries butting heads with the folks trying to do restoration and just not seeing eye to eye,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think people, especially in the environmental community, are really observant and really quick to see potential issues just because of what the community has gone through,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Differing views<\/p>\n

Before the project reached the part of the process where the state\u2019s Department of Environmental Protection could grant a permit, Southland had to clear other hurdles.<\/p>\n

Notably, on May 22, the project received unanimous approval<\/a> from Palm Beach County commissioners. At the time, Mayor Maria Marino said the vote was the first step in a very long process.<\/p>\n

According to county documents, the county will regulate mining and excavation, ensuring compatibility with the surrounding areas. This regulation also would monitor any environmental impacts and adverse health impacts to county residents.<\/p>\n

Right before the county commissioners granted approval, Congressman Brian Mast, who represents Florida\u2019s 21st congressional district, asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the entity in charge of building the EAA, in a letter on May 6 to \u201cevaluate how the proposed project will impact Everglades restoration infrastructure \u2026 as the project could have implications for federally funded projects and Everglades restoration policy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The U.S. Army Corps responded a few days later, acknowledging the proximity of the proposed Southland project to the EAA.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is critical to work collaboratively to determine if the proposed Southland Water Resources Project will impact the federally authorized Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan project throughout the duration of its proposed implementation,\u201d Army Corps director of civil works Edward Belk wrote.<\/p>\n

The project now needs an environmental resource permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, which \u201cprovides both a conceptual approval and a construction and management approval\u201d for the first phase, according to the petition. This would include about 2,200 acres of the project\u2019s overall about 8,600 acres.<\/p>\n

In a statement, a DEP spokesperson said the agency received the petition and is reviewing it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the petition is deemed sufficient, it will be forwarded to the Division of Administrative Hearings, and a hearing date will be set.\u202fAs this matter is now in active litigation, DEP is limited in its ability to comment further,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n

Calling on the governor<\/p>\n

Beyond taking legal action, the environmental organizations also are calling on the governor to curb its progress.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are calling on Gov. DeSantis to stop this before it undermines the heart of Everglades restoration,\u201d Jonaitis said. \u201cWhy would you risk decades of progress and billions of taxpayer dollars? This isn\u2019t about politics, it\u2019s really about protecting Florida\u2019s water, wildlife and our way of life, and that\u2019s where Tropical is standing up and fighting against this project.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the 2025-26 fiscal year, DeSantis approved $1.4 billion for Everglades restoration and other water quality investments.<\/p>\n

And last year, when he approved the state Legislature\u2019s $1.5 billion appropriation<\/a> toward Everglades restoration and other water-quality improvements, DeSantis said his view is that \u201cwe, as Floridians, as Americans, we want to utilize natural resources. We want to enjoy natural resources.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to waste resources. We don\u2019t want to rob future generations of that same enjoyment that we\u2019re having,\u201d he said in April 2024.<\/p>\n

Originally Published: August 29, 2025 at 7:00 AM EDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Environmental groups are taking legal action in an attempt to halt the progression of a Palm Beach County…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":119639,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[192,2808,2558,983,37652,79,5262],"class_list":{"0":"post-119638","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-environment","9":"tag-florida","10":"tag-latest-headlines","11":"tag-local-news","12":"tag-palm-beach-county","13":"tag-science","14":"tag-social"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119638","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119638"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119638\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}