Tarmac Mine Official Tries to Dispel Rumors

Citrus County Chronicle – February 4, 2008


By Terry Witt

A top official for Tarmac America LLC said last week that rumors and misinformation continue to circulate about a proposed 4,800-acre mine in south Levy County.

Al Townsend, director of real estate and environmental services, said rumors about the Tarmac King Road Mine north of Inglis have distorted its true size, its design features, its impact on the ecology, the water it will use and the truck traffic it will generate.

Townsend, meeting with the Chronicle Editorial Board, said the company has set aside 2,700-acres for mining, 800 acres for green space and wetlands protection and 1,300-acres for a buffer zone. The company’s intention is to donate an additional 4,800-acres of property adjoining the Waccassassa Bay State Preserve to the state. The property would become part of the preserve.

Opponents have called it a 9,000-acre mine.

If the company gives land to the state, it would compensate for the loss of wetlands from mining activities. The tradeoff is known as mitigation.

Townsend said most of the site consists of cutover pine timber. The property has been used for timber growing for many years, but he acknowledged there are low quality wetlands on site.

Tarmac will submit an application to the Southwest Florida Water Management District to withdraw 22 million gallons of water daily, but Townsend said nearly all the water, about 21 million gallons, will be recycled from a mine lake each day.

Townsend said about 1 million gallons will be drawn from the aquifer daily to replace water evaporating from the mine lake, and he anticipates the district’s final consumptive water use permit will reflect 1 million gallons per day.

He said the mine will not negatively impact the Floridan Aquifer, which is close to the surface in the area of the proposed mine, and he assured editorial board members it would not bring about saltwater intrusion in Yankeetown or Inglis. Townsend is asking to mine up to 120 feet deep, but anticipates the maximum mining depth to not exceed 100 feet.

The property would be mined in a manner that keeps the top of the aquifer near its current level, he said. Otherwise, trees and plants would die in nearby wetlands.

The aggregate (small limerock stones) that would be mined at the site would be suitable for use in making concrete for bridges, homes, roads and public buildings, according to Townsend. He said the mine would be certified by Florida Department of Transportation.

Concerning truck traffic, Townsend said the mine would operate for12 hours each day and 500 trucks would come and go from the mine daily.

He said 30 percent to 40 percent would go south through Crystal River to Tampa, 30 percent to Ocala and the balance to Gainesville.

That would mean 150 to 200 trucks driving through Crystal River to Tampa, and return empty, or about 300 to 400 trucks daily. Townsend said he doubts residents would notice much difference, considering the truck traffic that exists in Citrus County. The trucks would be leased and Tarmac would require those trucks to have their wheels washed and their loads tarped, but they would not have control over the vehicles.

Tarmac look at the railroad used by Progress Energy as a possible way to transport limestone rock. But Townsend said Tarmac has ruled out rail traffic, in part because of the switching that would have to be done.

"It will be strictly a truck market," he said. "I’d love it if we had rail, but we don’t.

He said the public will have plenty of opportunity to weigh-in on the mining operation. Tarmac must apply for environmental permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Southwest Florida Water Management district.

Tarmac anticipates spending $137 million before the first shovel of limerock is turned, with no guarantee permits will be granted by state and federal agencies, and by Levy County.

"It’s a big gamble, but we’re looking at our future," Townsend said.



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