Maxine Connor of the Citrus County League of Women Voters has sent the following great news, from Neighbors Against Mining. If you go to this link, you will see that the residents opposing this destructive mine have had a long struggle, and the critical part is soon to come. Commission changes, rules changes, supermajority changes, all bode ill, so it is very important to follow the suggestions at the end of this article.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
-A river is like a life: once taken, it cannot be brought back-
Great News! Planning Commission Just Says NO to CEMEX!
In the subject line, enter CPAM 1702: NO NEW CEMEX MINE. In the body of the email, enter Dear Commissioners: I am opposed to the new CEMEX application to mine followed by your name, address and any comments you want to make.
Finally, we’re all volunteers, but there are financial expenses to keep up the effort. Nature Coast Conservation, Inc. is a Florida nonprofit corporation registered as a 501(c)(3). Neighbors Against Mining is a project of Nature Coast Conservation.
All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Donations of any amount are urgently needed to help the Neighbors Against Mining Action Team stop the new CEMEX mine. Write check to Nature Coast Conservation and mail to 222 E. Liberty St, Brooksville, FL 34601. Thank you! Today the Hernando County Planning Commission held a public hearing on the new CEMEX mine application that featured extensive public opposition, and then voted NO against it in a unanimous vote. The beautiful canopy road will not be turned into a mining conveyor belt just yet and our homes and the surrounding wildlife are safe for the moment.
The hearing was well attended and 25 concerned citizens spoke out against the application, citing concerns that ranged from water quality issues, health risks, residential impacts, property value decline, lack of need for another mine, lack of documentation that resources exist at this site worth mining, failure of applicants to prove they cannot develop the land for what is it now allowed to do: commercial and residential, inconsistency with the existing mix of residential, cemetery and hospital and unsuitability of the location due to unresolved geologic, hydrologic and ecological issues that exist at that site.
One person spoke out in support of the mine and CEMEX had a team of lawyers and professed experts who made an hours-long presentation on the merits of the mine.
Our team of speakers included members of Neighbors Against Mining, Sierra Club Adventure Coast Committee, and the Women’s March Central Florida Gulf Coast Chapter Environmental Justice and Sustainability Committee and Dr. Marc Yacht, who spoke out about health liability issues. DeeVon Quirolo presented comments on behalf of all three groups detailing how the application failed to meet the minimum standards of the current land use plan and state Community Planning Act.
Thanks to all who showed up and to those who have sent in their comments to the commissioners.
If you have not yet written the commissioners, it’s not too late—comments are needed before the next meeting that will be before the Hernando County Commission on Tuesday March 6th at the Brooksville Courthouse. So send yours in now and mark your calendar to be there and speak out. That will be the real test since the commissioners are the final authority on whether the new mine goes through, or not.
Please send one email addressed to all the following addresses today so it goes into the record that the County Commissions will read when they meet next month:
Chair Steve Champion: SChampion@hernandocounty.us *Commissioner Wayne Dukes: WDukes@hernandocounty.us *Commissioner Nick Nicholson: NNicholson@hernandocounty.us *Commissioner Jeff Holcomb: JHolcomb@hernandocounty.us *Commissioner John Allocco: JAllocco@hernandocounty.us
*Copy planning@hernandocounty.us & justsaynotomining@gmail.com
