The last step before blasting can begin on Big Sugar's proposed Everglades rock mine just hit some bumps in the road, but the project's threat to Florida's water-quality remains at an all-time high. Yesterday, on behalf of the Tropical Audubon Society, the Everglades Law Center filed a legal challenge against the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) intent to issue an Environmental Resource Permit (ERP) for the Southland Rock Mine—an 8,000-acre industrial rock mine planned within 1,000 feet of the $4 billion, taxpayer-funded Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir.
The ERP is the final permit required before excavation can begin on the controversial proposal, making this challenge a last stand between the project and the start of rock mining in one of Florida’s most critical restoration areas.
If the project proceeds, blasting could threaten the structural integrity of the EAA Reservoir, contaminate its water, and render it useless for its intended purpose: storing and cleaning water, sending it south to the Everglades, and stopping toxic discharges to Florida’s coasts.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has already raised concerns about seepage and groundwater impacts. And scientists alike warn that the consequences could be catastrophic, from polluted drinking water for millions and devastated estuaries to the unraveling of decades of Everglades restoration progress.
Behind the proposal is developer Phillips & Jordan, working in partnership with industrial sugar companies that own the land. For months, they’ve been fast-tracking permits, exploiting loopholes, and maneuvering around public opposition.
Florida has made historic progress on clean water and Everglades restoration, including billions in investment for the EAA Reservoir, but that progress is at risk if blasting is allowed to begin beside it.
If this mine moves forward, it could turn the crown jewel of Everglades Restoration and water-quality progress into a cautionary tale of negligence.
Once excavation starts, there’s no turning back. Special interests will have overpowered science and public will, reducing Florida’s most important environmental achievement to rubble—and profiting from every truckload of rock hauled away.
“You don’t build a $4 billion clean water solution only to blow it up from the inside,” said Capt. Daniel Andrews, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Captains For Clean Water. "This is really our last chance to stop this rock mine before it becomes a hole in the ground and destroys decades of water-quality progress."
Captains For Clean Water has launched a call to action urging the state to stop the mine before it starts. Floridians can take action now by sending an email through Captains For Clean Water’s website.
Captains For Clean Water is a Florida-based 501(c)3 grassroots nonprofit on a mission to restore and protect aquatic ecosystems for the use and enjoyment of all. Founded in 2016 by fishing guides, CFCW has united the outdoor industry, business community, and concerned citizens at the forefront of the fight for clean water—the lifeblood of Florida’s economy and $85.9 billion tourism industry. Learn more at captainsforcleanwater.org or follow along on YouTube, Instagram, X, Facebook, LinkedIn and TikTok.
