From Captains for Clean Water:What’s been going on with Big Sugar’s Southland rock mine proposal, and what does the future hold for the dangerous project?
Over the past year, we’ve been fighting alongside our supporters to stop a reckless proposal by Big Sugar and the Southland Group (Phillips & Jordan) to excavate an 8,000-acre industrial rock mine in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA)—just 1,000 feet from the $4 billion EAA Reservoir, the crown jewel of Everglades restoration.
This isn’t just another land-use proposal. If allowed to move forward, blasting a mine next to the EAA Reservoir could:
▪Compromise the reservoir’s structural integrity.
▪Contaminate drinking water for millions of Floridians.
▪Undermine decades of restoration work and billions in taxpayer investment.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has already raised concerns about seepage risks and potential impacts to the EAA Reservoir, and scientists warn the consequences could be catastrophic. In short: this is a generational threat to Everglades restoration, Florida’s water, and our way of life. To learn more about the risks of this rock mine, read our full breakdown here.
