PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A proposed limestone mine in southwestern Palm Beach County is receiving stiff opposition from a local U.S. congressman.
WPTV continues to press for answers about the controversial Southland Water Resource Project.
U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., called the project "premature" after the Palm Beach County Commission approved it in May.
The proposed project near Belle Glade is roughly half the size of Manhattan.
The project calls for 34 years of mining before it's converted to store runoff water from Lake Okeechobee.
Mast has sponsored bills that have brought millions to help restore the Everglades over the last few years.
He wrote to the Army Corps of Engineers, saying the project represents "substantial risks to taxpayer-funded Everglades restoration infrastructure."
Mast also added that he wants, "to continue progress towards a healthy Everglades system free from destructive mining operations.”
The congressman fears mining will pollute a large reservoir that is set to open in 2029 next to Lake Okeechobee.
"Does it make sense to have a quarrying operation where they will be doing explosive quarrying, explosions to blow dirt and rock out of the ground and do that directly next to a reservoir?" Mast asked. "That's a very important question."
The project's director said the stormwater treatment areas near the site of the proposed mine will keep water in the Everglades and the reservoir near Lake Okeechobee clean.
Meanwhile, community leaders near the site said they support the project because it can create jobs in an area that needs them.
Read more of WPTV's coverage of the proposed mine:
Region The Glades
