TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Environmental groups on Thursday asked the South Florida Water Management District to clarify its position on a proposed rock mine near Lake Okeechobee publicly.
Environmentalists said they objected to Executive Director Drew Bartlett’s Dec. 31 letter to contractor Phillips & Jordan describing a proposed 8,600-acre rock mine as a potential water storage reservoir benefiting Everglades restoration.
Environmentalists say the mine could affect water flow in the region and Everglades restoration, including the Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir now under construction.
However, Bartlett told the water management district board Thursday that more water storage and treatment areas are needed in the EAA to prevent harmful discharges in coastal areas from Lake Okeechobee.
