The Southland rock mine proposal in Palm Beach County moved ahead last week as the Palm Beach County Zoning Commission voted to approve the plan.

Friends of the Everglades Policy Director (and VoteWater Executive Director) Gil Smart testified against the proposal, submitted by contractor Phillips & Jordan and officially termed a “water resource project” because once all the limestone is dug up, the pits will supposedly be turned into a reservoir.

That could take up to 44 years, according to the application from Phillips & Jordan.

But while that company is the public face of the plan, the reality is that the site — just over 8,600 acres in the Everglades Agricultural Area south of Lake Okeechobee — is owned by U.S. Sugar and Florida Crystals. And so, presumably, is the limestone to be dug out and sold.

Then, at the zoning commission hearing, none other than former Florida DEP Secretary Noah Valenstein got up to vouch for the plan. Indeed, the Phillips & Jordan attorney speaking on behalf of the proposal actually deferred to Valenstein at one point when the attorney couldn’t answer a question from the zoners.

Valenstein is now a lobbyist and Presidential Fellow at The Water School at Florida Gulf Coast University — in other words, an extremely influential voice speaking up, surprise surprise, for Big Sugar’s interests.

Also of note: Prior to the meeting, members of the commission had to disclose whether they’d been in contact with anyone associated with the proposals they were about to hear. Several commissioners noted they’d gotten phone calls from Florida Crystals — presumably, lobbying for them to vote “yes,” as the commission ultimately did.

Big Sugar is pushing hard on this proposal; but VoteWater and others are prepared to push back.

Next up: Palm Beach County Commissioners will review the rezoning request on April 24; county staff is recommending approval. VoteWater will be there, asking them to vote “no”; and we’ll provide more details in the weeks to come for those who’d like to express their own opposition, to help us defeat this flawed plan.