Mumbling and rustling in the audience before the Cabinet Aides Meeting
on
January 19th abruptly ended when Colleen Castile announced Agenda Item
13.
Silence and rapt attention in the chamber proves that the siting of
a cement
kiln three miles from the Ichetucknee Springs State Park deserves the
State's
attention.
Secretary of DEP, David Struhs, made an unprecedented
appearance at the
Cabinet Aides meeting, defending his position that DEP is doing its
job
cracking down on regulation offenders, and that Anderson is providing
a net
gain to the environment through the deal between Anderson and DEP.
The
Secretary deputized all citizens of Florida to regulate Anderson, as
computer
monitoring of the kiln will be available. Secretary Struhs was
not able to
answer a question I raised previously to him, "What will happen if
the kiln
fails? How will it be shut down?" Secretary Struhs continues
to emphasize
that DEP has reasonable assurance that Anderson will comply with regulations,
although I say, when has he been tested since he failed the last tests?
Secretary Struhs opened the debate of the Anderson Mine purchase to
include a
discussion of the Anderson/Columbia Cement Kiln air permit, because
in the Set
tlement Agreement (the deal) the two are linked.
At least four, if not six Anderson lawyers listened
and took notes while
SICK leaders Virginia Seacrist and Dave Bruderly and Bagdad's Friends
of the
Blackwater River, Christine Walsh and Pat D'Asaro, spoke against "the
deal"
linking the purchase of the Anderson Mine in the Ichetucknee Trace
to the
granting of a DEP air permit for Anderson's Cement Kiln three miles
to the
west of Ichetucknee State Park. Jim Stevenson, State Biologist,
and Eva
Armstrong, head of State Land Purchasing, advocated for purchase of
Anderson's mine, saying studies have long indicated what is called
the
"Kirby" Mines threaten Ichetucknee Springs.
I want to point out that two mines exist, the Kirby
Mine, not in this
purchase agreement, and the Anderson Mine. I hear at that other
negotiations
are ongoing concerning the Kirby Mine. Restrictions on the purchase
of the
Anderson mine are time and receipt of the air permit for the cement
kiln. If
the Cabinet does not buy the Anderson Mine before January 31st, the
offer of
sale is withdrawn. "Take it or leave it," Anderson lawyers say.
If Anderson
does not win the air permit, after the mercury case February 14th,
Anderson
withdraws the sale offer. And further, if Anderson does not win
the air
permit, Anderson withdraws donation of the Blackwater River property
to
become a State Park. Further, if the price comes back from appraisal
at less
than $23 million, Anderson withdraws the offer for sale. And
last, if DEP
mandates any change to the air permit, Anderson withdraws the offer
for sale
and donation of Anderson lands. I admit that I may be wrong in
my
understanding of some of these facts, but the deal is so complicated,
I have
difficulty keeping up with the Anderson lawyers who designed it.
The Deal was written by Anderson's lawyers, Holland
and Knight, and the
deal in no way hurts Anderson's interests. If the Cabinet does
not buy
Anderson's Mine, Anderson may still receive the air permit. As
I understand
the deal, too, Anderson can gain the air permit for the cement kiln
beside
the Ichetucknee River without giving the Blackwater State Park.
But, in
truth The Settlement Agreement between Anderson and DEP is so complicated
that Eva Armstrong had difficulty explaining it to the Cabinet Aides.
Tom Greenwald, DEP geologist, pointed out, as a
local Suwannee County
Ichetucknee River lover and resident, that Anderson has been mining
in the
Ichetucknee Trace for years with no ill effects to Ichetucknee Springs.
Greenwald emphasized, as all of us skeptics concerning the Anderson
Mine
purchase did, that no science has been done on the cement kiln site:
no
geology, no hydrology, no ambient air, water, flora, fauna studies
have been
done. The only study alluded to indicates that Anderson's cement
kiln site
mine drains into the Santa Fe River basin, not the Ichetucknee River
basin.
I pointed out that the Santa Fe River is also an Outstanding Florida
Waterway, as is the Suwannee River, and that law mandates zero degradation
to
Outstanding Florida Waterways.
Water turbidity could be the polluting effect of
blasting for limerock
removal. Mercury and nitrate pollution are certain air pollutants as
a result
of cement production. Anderson does not consider turbidity and
collapse of
aquifer structure a threat to the rivers; what do you think?
Would cloudy
water change the Ichetucknee or the Santa Fe Experience? Patrice
Boyes will
be arguing that depositing mercury into the air, thus into the water,
will
degrade the Outstanding Florida Waters; DEP has not considered mercury
deposition as a pollutant resulting from cement production.
Christine Walsh presented Cabinet Aides with copies
of the Pensacola
Journal reports on Anderson's disregard for DEP regulations, the reason
for
DEP's first denial of the air permit. Anderson's lawyers claim
Joe
Anderson's Anderson/Columbia Cement Company has no connection with
the
defunct company responsible for the misdeeds of former companies involved
with violations.
Charles Lee of Audubon advocated that somehow the
State achieve purchase
of the Anderson Mine, but he suggested that if the Cabinet does not
buy the
mine, the State can condemn it. If the State condemns the mine,
I understand
that a jury can set the price the State pays for it. This solution
seems
viable, and even Anderson's lawyers pointed out that Mr. Lee made the
most
sense of all the speakers.
Attorney General's Aide Butterworth, Dianna
Sawaya Crane, persisted in
asking poignant questions of Stevenson and Armstrong, as well as Anderson
lawyers. Jena Brooks, Aide to Education Secretary Tom Gallagher,
and Dana
Wiehle, Aide to Comptroller Bob Milligan, asked many interesting questions
to
all speakers, and Treasurer Bill Nelson visited the mining sites, Ichetucknee
Springs Park, and A/C kiln site on January 3, 2000. Colleen Castile
and
other aides to Governor Bush asked pointed questions of Bruderly and
Greenwald, as well.
The hearing lasted five hours, without stopping
for lunch. Many
questions remain unanswered, but one fact is evident. The Deal
is so
complicated even those intimately involved with the cement plant issue
are
confused. Eva Armstrong left Cabinet Aides with the last thought:
the State
may lose the opportunity to buy the mine, the price could go up, and
we must
rush to a decision to make this purchase.
I submit that the only ones who will benefit from
a rush to purchase are
Anderson and those wanting to put an end to the fight to preserve the
Ichetucknee River from the polluting effects of a cement kiln.
We want to
protect the State Park from all evils, not just from a mine above the
River.
We want to protect the Ichetucknee Experience and to preserve the area
for
eco-tourism. We often only see the trees and not the forest.
Stop Ichetucknee Cement Kiln: It makes us SICK.
Virginia Seacrist
Chairperson, SICK
Cabinet Meeting Attendees,
The Governor's Cabinet will discuss purchase of
the Anderson Mines in the
Ichetucknee Trace at 9 AM on Tuesday, January 25, in the Capitol Building
in
Tallahassee. Go into the rotunda and ask where the meeting is
at the
information desk.
If you wish to speak, please contact Destiny Bryant
at
Destiny.Bryant@dep.state.fl.us
to be put on the speaker's list. I am sure
that each group will be
time-limited, so if you have something to say, signing up as an individual
will allow you a time slot.
If you speak, we encourage you to provide specific
and non-repetitive
information, be concise, be positive, and by all means, be polite.
The
Cabinet Members and the Governor, like the rest of the people in the
world,
respond best to praise and empathy, rather than criticism and skepticism.
If someone speaks for your group, you may want to
consider standing or
identifying yourself with that group with a sign when that person is
speaking.
If anyone is coming from West Palm Beach, please
contact Elizabeth
Conerly (etcinsure@aol.com) for possible car pooling. Anyone
else desiring
me to publicize their need for a ride, please e mail me and I will
do so.
This forum is an opportunity for us to air our considerations,
but it is
not our last chance to Stop Ichetucknee Cement Kiln. We will
win this
battle, because we are right.
Virginia Seacrist
SICK, Chairperson