King Road Mine

The Gainesville Sun – April 14, 2008


By ALBERT TOWNSEND

For many years, Tarmac America LLC has been a leading supplier of building materials in Florida. Our latest proposal is to open a limestone mine in southern Levy County to produce construction aggregate for highways, hospitals and commercial building projects in north and central Florida.

The King Road Mine is currently undergoing a rigorous permitting process. Tarmac is working with local, state and federal agencies to answer their questions and demonstrate how the project makes sense for Levy County's economy and for Florida, which faces a shortage of construction supplies.

Government officials at all levels are closely examining our plans to ensure the environmental integrity of the area is protected, safety is a top priority and public services such as roads and water will not be negatively affected. These issues are a top priority for Tarmac.

We are incorporating local input wherever possible. At town workshops and in smaller gatherings in Levy County and elsewhere in the region we have answered questions about the company's plans on a range of topics such as:

Location: Tarmac America plans to mine about 30 acres a year on a tract along King Road in southern Levy County. The tract covers 4,800 acres — 800 acres of wetlands that will be set aside; 1,300 acres for the quarry, processing plant, roads and buffers; and the remaining 2,700 acres for mining activity over about 100 years.

Water: On a daily basis, fewer than 1 million gallons a day will be required. That's because King Road Mine operations are designed to recycle what's needed to wash the limestone and turn it into aggregate. About 22 million gallons of water circulates from a quarry-side lake to the processing center and then back to the lake — in much the same way a backyard pool filtering system works.

To maintain optimal lake levels at the mining site, less 1 million gallons of new water will be needed daily to replenish what is lost from processing and evaporation. As part of the permitting process, Tarmac has conducted extensive studies of the watershed and other hydrological features. These studies show water use for mining will not affect the water quantity or quality patterns of nearby towns or springs.

Economic Benefits: For Levy County, the King Road Mine also would offer a significant economic boost in the form of jobs and tax revenues. In fact, the mine is expected to generate more than $1 billion in new revenue for Levy County during the first decade of operations. That's the combined economic impact of investments in construction, employee spending on goods and services and job growth in other sectors.

Roads: Tarmac America plans about 500 truck trips a day, exiting at King Road to U.S. Highway 19, where vehicles that have been wheel-washed and top-covered will head north and south, dispersing to Gainesville, Ocala, Tampa and Orlando. This means minimal travel on any county or local roads. Traffic studies indicate the additional trucks on U.S. 19 would not adversely affect local traffic. As well, to enhance the roads near the mine, Tarmac has plans to improve access to King Road and to add acceleration and deceleration lanes to U.S. 19.

Conservation: Protecting natural resources is another core component of Tarmac's plans. For starters, the company plans to preserve about 4,600 acres adjacent to the mine at its western boundary, next to the Wacasassa Bay state park. Our plans also include vegetation management to promote native species diversity, the creation of a Forestry Stewardship Plan and detailed mitigation plans for wetlands.

Our company has a long-standing history of managing safe, environmentally friendly operations. The King Road Mine is no different. We are committed to being good environmental stewards and plan to be an honorable corporate neighbor in the region.

Albert Townsend is director of real estate and environmental services for Tarmac America.



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