BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
STARKE — Bradford County commissioners are moving forward with changes that could raise the bar for future mining permits.
Scott Koons, executive director of the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council, presented proposed changes to the county’s comprehensive plan and land development regulations on May 18. The changes would further define mining and related activities and protect natural resources and residential areas.
Added policies would prevent adverse effects on the quality of air, groundwater, surface water, land and wildlife, Koons said. Mining would be prohibited in wetlands and surface waters as well as environmentally sensitive or conservation areas. The natural resource protection policies would require avoidance, minimization and mitigation of adverse impacts caused by mining as well as restoring the function of natural systems.
Buffer zones and setbacks would be added to the comprehensive plan for mining and extraction operations adjacent to wetlands, surface water, parks and preserves. The buffer zones and setbacks would be based on the size of the protected area, the presence of regulated species, and proximity to the New River and Santa Fe River, specifically.
These rivers were of particular concern when phosphate mining was proposed in Bradford and Union counties. That permit application drew faced opposition in both counties and many communities downstream who were concerned about negative environmental and economic impacts. Union County commissioners amended their mining regulations in response.
Mining prohibitions would also be established for residential areas as identified on the comprehensive plan’s future land use map.
Koons said the special permitting process in the land development regulations would be completely replaced and include requirements for an environmental assessment, a postmining reclamation plan and a fee for review of the permit application.
The environmental assessment must include the study of potential adverse impacts on natural and historic resources. The assessment must be prepared by qualified professionals in the field of study, and it must be paid for by the applicant.
Commissioner Chris Dougherty questioned if the proposed changes were subjective and based on opinions or beliefs. He pointed out that neighboring counties have mining or extractions activities that create jobs and provided needed materials to manufacture products people use every day. Chemours is an example, he said. Rather than limiting mining, he felt permit applications should be reviewed case-by-case to identify negative impacts or “red flags.”
Koons said the point was not to limit potential mining or extraction activities but establish a process for the kind of review Dougherty was speaking about.
Commissioner Danny Riddick said it was important to get the changes in place, saying the existing bare bones regulations are not enough to protect the county.
“Not to say that we’re going to stop anybody, but it sure helps when another issue comes along like before. Before we had absolutely nothing,” he said.
Carol Mosley of the Bradford Environmental Forum said while the county may not be able to require applicants to seek permits from other agencies such as the Department of Environmental Protection prior to seeking a special use permit here, the board should suggest that as a way of proving the viability of a proposed mining project. County commissioners don’t have the expertise to make that determination alone.
Following discussion, including input from Planning and Zoning Director Randy Andrews on the need to protect current and future landowners from companies that own mineral rights on their land, the commission voted 4-0 to advance the process (with Chairwoman Diane Andrews absent from the meeting).
The two-step process for implementing the policy changes begins with amending the comprehensive plan. Pending a positive recommendation from the planning and zoning board, the county commission would conduct the first of two public hearings and transmit the proposed comprehensive plan amendments to the state. Following state review, the county would hold the second public hearing and approve or deny the changes.
Changes to the land development regulations would follow a similar process, but these local regulations are not subject to state review.
According to Koons, the first comprehensive plan hearings could take place June 15 and the final hearing on Aug. 17. The land development regulation hearings could take place on Oct. 19 and Nov. 16.
