With the mine on the agenda, powerful forces showed up at the Union County commissioners meeting, and it wasn’t the mine company. Now that it is permissible for county commissioners to formerly hold joint meetings across county lines, the Alachua commissioners again visited the Union group and offered their experience and their staff to assist in drafting policies which would address mine issues. Alachua environmental department head Chris Bird also spoke.
Not only the Alachua group attended, but also representatives from the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council were there to support the endeavor. These gestures were accepted and appreciated by Chairman Jimmy Tallman, who spoke for the Union commissioners.
Chris Mericle, Sierra Club member, spoke against the mine, as did your historian and OSFR member Jane Blais and Courtney Snyder. OSFR members Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson and Mike Roth were there as were Cindy North, Carol Burton, Brack Barker, and several others.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
-A river is like a life: once taken, it cannot be brought back-
So proud of everyone that attended today and spoke on behalf of the River. We have to keep up the resistance. Water Warriors – we need to pull together. Wish I could have been there……. stay posted!