The Southland Rock Mine: Big Sugar’s Blasting Gamble in the Everglades
- The Chairman
- Jun 18
- 2 min read
Florida’s future should never be decided behind closed doors or at the end of a corporate pickaxe. And yet, that’s exactly what’s happening in Palm Beach County.
A Sugar-Coated Excavation
On May 22, the Palm Beach County Commission approved a 34-year mining operation in the heart of the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA)—land currently pivotal to restoring the health of South Florida’s waters. Florida Crystals and U.S. Sugar say they're mining limestone for roads. But let’s not sugarcoat it: they’re also blasting away fertile farmland and reshaping water management policy by fiat.
The environmental community—from Captains for Clean Water to Friends of the Everglades—showed up in force. These aren’t ivory tower academics; they’re Floridians with skin in the game. Fishermen, scientists, families—all deeply invested in restoring the Everglades and halting the algal blooms choking our rivers.
Jobs vs. Ecosystems: A False Dichotomy
Supporters wore “Stand Up for the Glades” shirts, touting 150 new jobs. Listen, I’m all for job creation, especially in rural communities. But let’s stop pretending it’s either jobs or clean water. We need both. Smart development balances employment with environmental stewardship.
And let’s be clear: this isn’t just any patch of swamp. It’s adjacent to the $4 billion EAA reservoir—our best hope to curb toxic discharges from Lake Okeechobee. It’s the linchpin of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. Undermining it with unvetted rock mines is not just reckless—it’s sabotage.
Why Broward Should Be Very Concerned
Here in Broward County, we’re perched on the eastern edge of the Biscayne Aquifer—a shallow, porous system that provides drinking water for over five million South Floridians. That aquifer is directly recharged by the Everglades.
Blasting limestone near the EAA threatens to fracture the subsurface geology and alter groundwater flows. That’s not theory—that’s hydrology. If mining contaminates or redirects water tables, Broward’s drinking water could see increased salinity, lowered levels, or chemical imbalances.
Let me put it plainly: if they destabilize the Everglades, Broward’s water quality and quantity are at risk. This mine could poison the well—literally.
The water you drink, the crops you eat, the very pressure in your shower—it’s all connected to that slow-moving river of grass.
Where’s the Accountability?
Why the rush? Why skip Army Corps and South Florida Water Management District vetting? That’s like building a bridge without checking the blueprints. Even SFWMD’s own letter was riddled with caveats, not green lights.
The STAs—our taxpayer-funded treatment marshes—are already overburdened. Letting a private mine piggyback on public infrastructure without proven benefit is poor policy and worse governance.
This Fight Isn’t Over
I hear you. I believe what you say. But I measure results. Right now, the result is a process hijacked and a public left in the dark.
We must demand:
Full technical review by the Army Corps and SFWMD before any ground is broken.
Independent hydrological assessments on how this affects the Broward and South Florida water table.
Absolute transparency on where, how, and when treated water will be discharged.
This is our water, our land, our Florida. And I, for one, won’t stand idle while Big Sugar makes backroom deals on the backs of taxpayers and future generations.
Let’s restore accountability. Let’s protect the Everglades. Let’s lead Florida forward.
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