Editor and River Lovers,
In the September 19th meeting Lloyd Bell, owner
of the Port of Ft.
Pierce, revealed his capability of importing Portland cement approved
by the
US Air Force for construction of runways in Saudi Arabia, made by Saudi
national and private companies. Saudi cement costs $35-60 less than
US-made
cement, since the raw materials are available in Saudi and the energy
source,
natural gas, is a byproduct of oil production. Saudi standards
for cement
production are less polluting than here in the US. The use of
coal as the
energy source is the prime cause of pollution in US plants. Lloyd
Bell has
the capability of offloading cement into deep-water ports about 70
miles
offshore of the Port of Ft. Pierce.
Hussein Salem of Saudi Arabia represents national
and private Saudi
cement companies who can guarantee delivery of one million tons of
cement
manufactured and transported with oil costing $3 per barrel, compared
to the
US price, rising, but currently at $36 per barrel. Until now,
Salem reports
that no port in Florida will import his cement. US Cement manufacturers
have
bought up all of the silos at the ports and have boycotted any enduser
who
agrees to buy Saudi cement.
Lower cement costs will be a boon to the consumer;
little pollution will
result from the importing of cement.
General Bowen Ballard, reserve officer in the US
Air Force and a senior
consultant to Department of Defense for Intelligence, was present at
the
meeting to verify that the Saudi businessman and the cement companies
do
exist and are reliable. General Ballard and Lloyd Bell will travel
to Saudi
Arabia within the month to confer with Crown Prince Abdula concerning
the
cement transaction.
CSX Railroad has tracks into Ft. Pierce and will
be able to transport the
imported cement, eliminating truck traffic, and with significantly
less
pollution from diesel engines, than trucks create.
Suwannee/American owner Joe Anderson has been contacted
by Lloyd Bell and
Hussein Salem, as have his competitors. Anderson has responded
with some
interest to the proposal of importing Saudi cement. Considering
Anderson as
the shrewd businessman he is, our hope is that he will realize the
economic,
environmental, and political benefit to importing cement rather than
continuing on the environmentally disastrous, problem-laden, legally
expensive proposed cement kiln sited three miles from the Ichetucknee
River.
It is our hope that Governor Bush will urge Anderson
to cease kiln
construction plans and the Governor will step in to initiate legislation
upgrading standards for clean industry in buffer areas surrounding
Outstanding Florida Waters and Florida State parks. The Governor
can declare
areas around Outstanding Florida Waters and Florida State Parks Class
1
areas, providing higher air and water standards for these pristine
areas.
Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, and
Bill Clinton have used
the Antiquities and National Environmental Policy Act to preserve National
treasurers. President Clinton used this Act to preserve Utah's
Kaiparowits
Plateau in 1996. Candidates running for November election in
Florida would
be well advised to propose similar State legislation designed to protect
Florida's natural and historic treasurers.
Governor Bush and David Struhs have the opportunity
to relieve concerned
Floridians of one of the major environmental upsets created by
environmentally asleep industrialists. Considering the law suits
now filed
against Joe Anderson relating to his abuse of the environment, and
the
incentive of importing cement at less than he will spend producing
it, it is
our hope that the importation of Saudi cement through Ft. Pierce will
be the
final solution to the Ichetucknee Cement Kiln problem.
Virginia Seacrist
SICK, Chairperson