Just got this important alert from Dawn Shirreffs:Florida Power and Light’s (FPL) filed a Comprehensive Master plan amendment in October 2008 seeking mining in Miami-Dade’s agricultural lands known as the “East Glades”. Rock mining projects and water consumption included within FPL’s request threaten Miami-Dade’s water supply, public health and Florida’s Everglades.
In order to gain approval, the application claims to be a public necessity supporting Everglades Restoration. FPL contends that their rock quarry pits, once excavated could be used as water storage for Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands and other restoration projects. However: a 2005 report by the National Academy of sciences says the technology to store water in rock quarry pits does not exist, but even if it did water storage in these so-called water management structures would violate water quality standards and be unusable for municipal use or restoration.
Quarry pits in this area will impact the hydrology of Everglades National Park, interfere with groundwater tables and will increase saltwater intrusion in the area.
Rock mining in Miami-Dade’s agricultural lands are fundamentally in conflict with Everglades Restoration efforts and puts Florida’s water supply in jeopardy.
The public hearing will be held before the Miami-Dade County Commission on 5/28/09 at 9:30a.m. at the Stephen Clark Government Center.
Dawn Shirreffs
Florida Program Coordinator - Clean Water Action
Clean Water Fund
1 comment:
The project purports to be for public infrastructure projects and water management projects. The problem is that in the application FPL slips in an extra use for the rock: "utility facilities and ancillary uses..." Of course, the rest of the application does not mention this any further...
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