Rock Mining Summit Deemed Positive, Productive

(l-r) Invited environmentalists Rosa Durando, Lisa Interlandi and Joanne Davis, Commissioners Jess Santamaria, Karen Marcus and Addie Greene, County Administrator Bob Weisman and Deputy County Administrator Verdenia Baker. « Previous | Next »

County commissioners took up the complicated issue of rock mining in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) during a well-attended three-hour summit on March 19 at the Hutcheson Agricultural Center.

Commissioners held the fact-finding session with mining and construction representatives, environmentalists, and state and federal regulators, to provide staff direction on permit requests and to establish a coordinated review process for mining within the 700,000-acre EAA.

Palm Beach County is one of the few places in the state with significant deposits of limestone and other aggregate sources needed for road construction and industry.

Following a series of reports and public comment, commissioners agreed to have the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers involved in the pre-application process. They will also send a letter to the state asking that the EAA be designated a region of critical concern; and they directed County staff to look into possibly hiring a team of independent experts to prepare a comprehensive analysis of the long-range effects rock mining could have on water quality, wetlands, wildlife and farming in the EAA.