UPDATE: In our Aug. 28 newsletter we noted that while the Southland Water Resource Project (the EAA rock mine) faces a legal challenge over its FDEP permit, the “water resources” aspect of the project hasn’t even begun the South Florida Water Management District’s approval process –— and it looked like the applicants had missed the Aug. 27 deadline to submit updated plans that would have triggered the review.

However, Thursday morning district officials said applicants Phillips & Jordan had asked for, and gotten, a six-month extension due to the FDEP permit challenge. As a result, they have until Feb. 27, 2026, to submit the revised proposal. Two additional public hearings are supposed to the held on the plan, but will have to wait until the new info is submitted — if it is.

As noted in our newsletter, this is important because if the applicants — and U.S. Sugar and Okeelanta/Florida Crystals, owners of the 8,600+ acres in question — intend to follow through on plans to store water in the holes they blast in the limestone, they have to answer a lot of questions first (including, “How can you be sure this won’t have an impact on the adjacent EAA Reservoir?”).

But all along some rock mine opponents have said the applicants don’t need to follow through on the water resources project; if this is all about rock mining and only rock mining, maybe they won’t bother going through the charade.

So we’ll keep you posted; and if a revised plan does show up, we’ll break it down — and let you know how you can speak out against it!