Dear Suwannee County Commissioner Donald Odom,
I am writing to you for the second time in the past
18 months, expressing
my concern for your well being. First I asked you not to allow
an industrial
site, the Suwannee/American Cement Kiln, to be placed near the Ichetucknee
River State Park for reasons of polluting noise, toxins, and traffic.
I
represent over 10,000 people in the State who wish this beautiful area
of
North Florida could be preserved as part of the Old Florida, the Real
Florida.
While we understand that small rural counties must
provide roads,
schools, medical, and other services for their citizens, we know that
a
well-developed plan to expand eco-tourism, retirement villages, and
agricultural activities could provide many more jobs while leaving
the
environment relatively natural.
My concern directly affects you and your current
decision on the
Temporary Batch Plant site approval scheduled for May 18th. My
concern for
you results from the fate of many politicians who have fallen under
the
influence of Joe Anderson and his companies. As you are no doubt
aware,
Vice-president of the Senate, Bo Johnson, and Senator Randy Mackey
are both
in prison for doing favors for Joe Anderson and not reporting the money
they
received. You must know that Judge Sartin has recused himself
from any
further dealings with the Suwannee/American cement kiln issue, because
he
feels his inside dealings with either Governor Bush and/or Joe Anderson
have
tainted his opinion. Further, Governor Bush, who has received
over $150,000
in campaign contributions from Joe Anderson, has changed his mind about
the
air permit; he delegated his authority to Secretary Struhs. Now
even DEP
Secretary Struhs has recused himself from making the decision on the
air
permit.
The people of Florida and of the United States want clean government;
they do
not like government out of the sunshine. More and more, the people
are
demanding that industry be clean, and above all, that industry preserve
the
little remaining natural land areas, such as in North Florida.
But, most important is the fact that you are already under suspicion
for your
dealings with Joe Anderson. The people of Florida are so furious
that their
clean rivers and air are being destroyed for money and greed. The Ichetucknee
Experience is in jeopardy. They are calling for investigations.
People who
make deals with Joe Anderson end up in jail, or at least out of public
life.
Joe Anderson continues to do business as usual in Florida, but politicians
who make secret deals with him are going to jail.
I caution you to do business in the sunshine, and to vote in the best
interest of the citizens of not only Suwannee County, but of Columbia
County,
and all the Floridians who use the three rivers which will be affected
by the
cement kiln. The Batch Plant is being built for only one reason:
to build
Joe Anderson's cement kiln. If you are at all nervous about being
investigated concerning your dealings concerning this issue already,
good
advice would be to vote against the Batch Plant.
Other reasons to vote against the Batch Plant are that it will use
precious
water in our already drought-stressed region. The aquifer not
only feeds the
springs and rivers, but of course, it provides drinking water and irrigation
for the already-existing endeavors in the County. In questioning
before the
Plan Board, Suwannee/American representatives could not answer how
much water
will be used, but they confirmed that the water will come from wells,
of
course.
A Greenway is being prepared right across from the Batch Plant site,
on Route
27, to connect Branford and High Springs. The A/C representative
did not
even know the existence of his eco-tourist path for biking, jogging,
and
walking. This spring 400 bicycle riders spent money in North
Florida's
campsites, restaurants, and motels. Visitors to natural areas
do not come to
sites which are industrialized, because they are noisy and polluting.
The
Batch Plant will interfere with eco-tourism. Many, many more
jobs are at
stake in the agriculture/eco-tourist industry than will be gained from
the
construction of a cement kiln and a batch plant.
The A/C representative requesting site approval for the Batch Plant
did not
know how much cement would be delivered to the site, but he guessed
it would
come from Brooksville. The truck route will be over Route 27
from the East,
increasing dangerous cement-truck traffic on the same road that visitors
use
for the State Park. Not only will the cement kiln add hundreds
of trucks
along this sensitive two-land road, but the Batch Plant will run truckload
after noisy, dangerous truckload of cement between the site and the
kiln.
A/C said the trucks cannot travel over the Anderson-owned land, because
a
mine lies in between the Batch Plant and the kiln site. This
traffic will be
continuous, noisy, and dangerous.
I do not envy you. In Bagdad, Florida, and in Cross City, Florida,
citizens
rue the day they did business with Joe Anderson. Some of them
are in jail.
You began a bad business here, and I urge you to vote no to the Batch
Plant.
Your every move will be investigated, because many of the people of
Florida
do not want to see North Florida go the way of South and West Florida.
We
want State Parks, not Industrial Parks.
Sincerely yours,
Virginia Seacrist
SICK, Chairperson
If you have any questions about this event, please call Virginia Seacrist,
904=497=4471.
If you want to do something to Stop the Ichetucknee Cement Kiln, please
telephone the Suwannee County Commissioners and thank them for considering
the citizen's who oppose Joe Anderson and a cement kiln in Suwannee
County.
I telephoned them today and they were grateful to be appreciated for
taking a
stand against the Batch Plant. We must encourage the commissioners
to
continue to re-evaluate their stand on the cement kiln, although the
commission in no way denied that they want the cement kiln.
Jerry Scott 904-362-4955
Douglas Udell 904-362-4189
Barry Baker 904-776-2285
Robert Taylor 904-963-4138
Donald Odom 904-935-1647
The important facts are that Commissioner Udell
reiterated that the
Commission's granting of a permit prematurely might be a tactic S/A
is using
to gain other permits. Udell adamantly stated that he does not
want to be use
d. Udell was encouraged to give as a second reason for denial;
he stated
that the Batch Plant in an agricultural area is an improper land use.
If a
batch plant is improper use, what can a cement kiln be?
Bob Casey, Bruce Delaney, Richard Mitchell, Cynthia
Chestnut, Harvey
Budd, Rod Smith, John Koch, Bob Butterworth, Bill Nelson, Janegale
Boyd have
all telephoned me with their concerns about the Ichetucknee Cement
Kiln.
Call these candidates/elected officials and tell them you want to vote
for
candidates who come out against the S/A kiln. Also, ask officials
to contact
Struhs and Bush, telling them to consider that the citizens are coming
out
against the kiln locally. Bush has said he wants this issue settled
locally.
Further, since Assistant Secretary of DEP Lisa Edgars
(lisa.edgars@dep.state.fl.us 850-488-2960) has been designated as the
person
who will make the air permit decision, contact her to tell her not
to grant
the permit to Joe Anderson, whose record of non-compliance with regulations
is scandalous. Bush's original reason for denial still stands.
Encourage any contacts you have with the National
presidential campaigns
to discuss the environment, using Florida's scandalous handling of
the
Ichetucknee issue as a symbol that we need more attention to saving
the
environment.
Virginia Seacrist
SICK, Chairperson