By KATHY CIOTOLA
Sun staff writer
Plans for a cement plant near the Ichetucknee River moved one
step closer to reality Thursday when the Department of
Environmental Protection issued a construction permit for the
plant.
"As far as the company is concerned, this is the final obstacle to
the building of the plant," said Jim McClellan, spokesman for
Suwannee American Cement, the company building the cement
plant.
Suwannee American has faced opposition to the plant, which
some say will pollute the river, but DEP officials have dismissed
two legal petitions against the permit.
Construction on the $130 million cement plant may begin at any
time, said Lucia Ross, DEP communications director.
"This is the final permit," Ross said. "As far as DEP is
concerned, this is all we were involved with."
But opponents already plan to appeal.
"We will be appealing this permit, of course," said Linda
Young, southeastern coordinator for the Clean Water Network
in Tallahassee. The organization is providing legal services for
two local opponents of the plant, Robert Tyler and Mary
Woodhouse, Young said.
"The DEP has shown a long history of favoritism to this
company," Young said. "The most disheartening part is that
there is such broad corruption in Florida politics. But unless the
corruption has spread all the way to the 1st District Court of
Appeals, we're hoping they will take a look at this and say,
'What, this is crazy,' just like any reasonable person would who
looked at the facts."
Young said officials involved in the cement plant have unfairly
denied citizen hearings, have held illegally closed meetings and
have overlooked Suwannee American's and related companies'
past environmental violations.
Cement plant opponents are still appealing a circuit judge's
decision that Suwannee County commissioners did not violate
the county's comprehensive growth plan when they approved
the plant's site plans. Suwannee American officials said they are
confident the company will prevail.
"There may well be an appeal to the permit, but the company
feels they will be successful on an appeal," McClellan said.
The proposed plant is set for construction 3.5 miles from the
spring-fed Ichetucknee River, 40 miles northwest of Gainesville.
It would burn 100,000 tons of coal and used tires annually,
produce 1 million tons of cement each year and employ 80
people.
North Central Florida makes an ideal spot for cement plants
because of the availability of lime rock, McClellan said.
A groundbreaking date hasn't been set, but officials expect to
begin construction by the end of the year, McClellan said.
Kathy Ciotola can be reached at 338-3109 or
ciotolk@gvillesun.com.