Everglades Law Center Calls on Palm Beach County to Pump the Brakes on Southland Rock Mine Proposal.
On March 6, the Everglades Law Center (ELC), on behalf of Friends of the Everglades, submitted a letter to Palm Beach County urging officials to pause the permitting process for Big Sugar’s controversial Southland Rock Mine project.
The letter makes a clear case that the county has “put the cart ahead of the horse” in its consideration of the project and should wait until the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) completes a thorough evaluation.
The Southland rock mine proposal seeks to excavate approximately 8,600 acres in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) just north of the EAA Reservoir on land owned by U.S. Sugar and Florida Crystals.
The project has been pitched as a water storage initiative, but we have serious concerns about the true agenda behind it, as it appears to be nothing more than a commercial mining operation primarily benefiting Big Sugar. We’ve put pressure on the proposal due to its potential to undermine Everglades restoration efforts, the special interest influence involved, and the lack of transparency throughout the process.
Now, this letter from Everglades Law Center details everything that’s happened so far in the proposal process, putting it all on the record and calling out the controversy.
At the heart of the argument is a key procedural flaw: the Southland group and Big Sugar are trying to frame this proposed commercial mining operation as a water resource project, despite SFWMD never having formally identified it as such.
While Southland has pointed to a December letter from SFWMD as evidence of endorsement, Everglades Law Center’s letter clarifies that this is misleading. That letter from SFWMD merely acknowledged the project’s submission and outlined further steps required for full evaluation—it did not confirm the project’s legitimacy as a water resource initiative.
The Everglades Law Center warns that moving forward prematurely could undermine the county’s own Comprehensive Plan, which strictly limits mining in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) unless it is explicitly designated for water management purposes by either SFWMD or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“Until that agreement is in place, key aspects of the project—such as scope, feasibility, regulatory compliance, financial terms, and mitigation of harm—remain unresolved,” the letter states.
ELC’s letter serves as a crucial checkpoint, ensuring that public officials adhere to the proper review process rather than rushing into approvals based on incomplete information.
The bottom line? Palm Beach County should pump the brakes and wait for a final determination from SFWMD before advancing the Southland Rock Mine proposal.
Read the full letter to Palm Beach County below
Everglades Law Center Calls on Palm Beach County to Pump the Brakes on Southland Rock Mine Proposal.
On March 6, the Everglades Law Center (ELC), on behalf of Friends of the Everglades, submitted a letter to Palm Beach County urging officials to pause the permitting process for Big Sugar’s controversial Southland Rock Mine project.
The letter makes a clear case that the county has “put the cart ahead of the horse” in its consideration of the project and should wait until the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) completes a thorough evaluation.
The Southland rock mine proposal seeks to excavate approximately 8,600 acres in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) just north of the EAA Reservoir on land owned by U.S. Sugar and Florida Crystals.
The project has been pitched as a water storage initiative, but we have serious concerns about the true agenda behind it, as it appears to be nothing more than a commercial mining operation primarily benefiting Big Sugar. We’ve put pressure on the proposal due to its potential to undermine Everglades restoration efforts, the special interest influence involved, and the lack of transparency throughout the process.
Now, this letter from Everglades Law Center details everything that’s happened so far in the proposal process, putting it all on the record and calling out the controversy.
At the heart of the argument is a key procedural flaw: the Southland group and Big Sugar are trying to frame this proposed commercial mining operation as a water resource project, despite SFWMD never having formally identified it as such.
While Southland has pointed to a December letter from SFWMD as evidence of endorsement, Everglades Law Center’s letter clarifies that this is misleading. That letter from SFWMD merely acknowledged the project’s submission and outlined further steps required for full evaluation—it did not confirm the project’s legitimacy as a water resource initiative.
The Everglades Law Center warns that moving forward prematurely could undermine the county’s own Comprehensive Plan, which strictly limits mining in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) unless it is explicitly designated for water management purposes by either SFWMD or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“Until that agreement is in place, key aspects of the project—such as scope, feasibility, regulatory compliance, financial terms, and mitigation of harm—remain unresolved,” the letter states.
ELC’s letter serves as a crucial checkpoint, ensuring that public officials adhere to the proper review process rather than rushing into approvals based on incomplete information.
The bottom line? Palm Beach County should pump the brakes and wait for a final determination from SFWMD before advancing the Southland Rock Mine proposal.