One week after Palm Beach County rubber stamped Big Sugar’s rock mine project, water management district finally hosts first public hearing on proposal.
Yesterday in Belle Glade, we joined a strong chorus of voices at the South Florida Water Management District’s (SFWMD) first public hearing on the controversial Southland rock mine project.
This hearing came just one week after the Palm Beach County Commission recklessly pushed the Big Sugar-backed project through—greenlighting it before the district had even held its first public discussion.
Despite the county’s premature approval, opposition to the mine was loud and clear. Environmental advocates, concerned residents, and community leaders from across South Florida showed up and spoke out—exposing deep flaws in the process and demanding accountability for a project that threatens our waterways, communities, and public trust.
Standing Up and Calling It Out
Our Co-Founders, Capt. Daniel Andrews and Capt. Chris Wittman, were on the ground representing the voices of thousands who care about Florida’s waters.
In his public comment, Capt. Andrews challenged the absurdity of pushing forward with so many unanswered questions. “This makes no sense,” he said, highlighting growing public frustration with backroom deals and bureaucracies that prioritize profit over people and ecosystems.
“People are fed up with the lobbyists, they’re fed up with the political consultants that concoct these ideas in back rooms and try to force them down the public’s throat—and then try to bilk potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to pay for this project.”
He called for transparency, modeling, and real alternatives, like converting the land to a Stormwater Treatment Area (STA) that could meaningfully reduce harmful discharges to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Rivers by sending clean fresh water south through the Everglades.
Capt. Wittman, speaking afterward just steps from U.S. Sugar headquarters, underscored the hypocrisy at the heart of the proposal:
“Just a few months ago you had the sugar industry—Florida Crystals and U.S. Sugar—suing the Army Corps of Engineers over the EAA Reservoir, specifically over who had rights to the water in that reservoir. Whether that water should be available to Everglades restoration or whether Big Sugar should get that water to irrigate their crops. The sugar industry lost that lawsuit both at the district level and at the appellate court,” he said.
“So, why should the district, at this point, believe that U.S. Sugar and Florida Crystals are all of a sudden coming to the table, offering to build a reservoir and provide that water to the Everglades? It does not add up. It doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t pass the smell test.”
Let’s Be Clear About Who’s Behind This
Make no mistake: while elected officials cast the votes, this project is being driven by a powerful alliance between Phillips & Jordan (P&J)—a well-connected government contractor—and Big Sugar. Together, they’ve exploited political influence and public trust to jam this mine through a broken process.
They’re doing it under the false banner of Everglades restoration, attempting to sweep a harmful industrial project into the same category as real environmental solutions. It’s a cynical move, and Floridians see right through it.
We’re Not Done Fighting
Palm Beach County might have rubber-stamped this mine, but we’re not letting it slip through the cracks. The fight is far from over.
The SFWMD still has authority over key water resource decisions, and public pressure can—and must—hold them accountable. We’ll keep pushing for transparency, real science, and solutions that truly serve our environment, not corporate profits.
To everyone who spoke out, showed up, or stood in solidarity, thank you. Let’s keep the pressure on.
Stay tuned for more updates and ways you can help us stop this thing for good.
One week after Palm Beach County rubber stamped Big Sugar’s rock mine project, water management district finally hosts first public hearing on proposal.
Yesterday in Belle Glade, we joined a strong chorus of voices at the South Florida Water Management District’s (SFWMD) first public hearing on the controversial Southland rock mine project.
This hearing came just one week after the Palm Beach County Commission recklessly pushed the Big Sugar-backed project through—greenlighting it before the district had even held its first public discussion.
Despite the county’s premature approval, opposition to the mine was loud and clear. Environmental advocates, concerned residents, and community leaders from across South Florida showed up and spoke out—exposing deep flaws in the process and demanding accountability for a project that threatens our waterways, communities, and public trust.
Standing Up and Calling It Out
Our Co-Founders, Capt. Daniel Andrews and Capt. Chris Wittman, were on the ground representing the voices of thousands who care about Florida’s waters.
In his public comment, Capt. Andrews challenged the absurdity of pushing forward with so many unanswered questions. “This makes no sense,” he said, highlighting growing public frustration with backroom deals and bureaucracies that prioritize profit over people and ecosystems.
“People are fed up with the lobbyists, they’re fed up with the political consultants that concoct these ideas in back rooms and try to force them down the public’s throat—and then try to bilk potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to pay for this project.”
He called for transparency, modeling, and real alternatives, like converting the land to a Stormwater Treatment Area (STA) that could meaningfully reduce harmful discharges to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Rivers by sending clean fresh water south through the Everglades.
Capt. Wittman, speaking afterward just steps from U.S. Sugar headquarters, underscored the hypocrisy at the heart of the proposal:
“Just a few months ago you had the sugar industry—Florida Crystals and U.S. Sugar—suing the Army Corps of Engineers over the EAA Reservoir, specifically over who had rights to the water in that reservoir. Whether that water should be available to Everglades restoration or whether Big Sugar should get that water to irrigate their crops. The sugar industry lost that lawsuit both at the district level and at the appellate court,” he said.
“So, why should the district, at this point, believe that U.S. Sugar and Florida Crystals are all of a sudden coming to the table, offering to build a reservoir and provide that water to the Everglades? It does not add up. It doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t pass the smell test.”
Let’s Be Clear About Who’s Behind This
Make no mistake: while elected officials cast the votes, this project is being driven by a powerful alliance between Phillips & Jordan (P&J)—a well-connected government contractor—and Big Sugar. Together, they’ve exploited political influence and public trust to jam this mine through a broken process.
They’re doing it under the false banner of Everglades restoration, attempting to sweep a harmful industrial project into the same category as real environmental solutions. It’s a cynical move, and Floridians see right through it.
We’re Not Done Fighting
Palm Beach County might have rubber-stamped this mine, but we’re not letting it slip through the cracks. The fight is far from over.
The SFWMD still has authority over key water resource decisions, and public pressure can—and must—hold them accountable. We’ll keep pushing for transparency, real science, and solutions that truly serve our environment, not corporate profits.
To everyone who spoke out, showed up, or stood in solidarity, thank you. Let’s keep the pressure on.
Stay tuned for more updates and ways you can help us stop this thing for good.